‘Sanctuary City’ effort moves ahead despite Trump funding threat

‘Sanctuary City’ effort moves ahead despite Trump funding threat

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

Despite President Donald Trump’s promise to withdraw all law enforcement grants from cities that refuse to help federal authorities identify undocumented immigrants, a move to declare Key West a “sanctuary city” is moving ahead.

Commissioner Jimmy Weekley declared his intention to sponsor a resolution declaring Key West a sanctuary city in December, after commissioners voted to renew the city’s One Human Family philosophy. A sanctuary city is generally one where all city staffers, including police officers, do not ask a person what their immigration status is and local resources or funds cannot be used to enforce federal immigration laws.

If Trump makes good on his funding withdrawal promise and Key West declares itself a sanctuary city, it might affect $34,200 the Key West Police Department received in the 2016 fiscal year from two federal grants, one a 50 percent reimbursement for purchasing ballistic police vests and another $15,200 received every year to purchase other equipment. Police Chief Donie Lee said he has not seen the wording of Weekley’s resolution and could not comment on it. However, if federal authorities asked for local officer help in tracking down a violent person who happens to be an illegal immigrant, “we certainly would assist them,” Lee said.

“I believe that immigration policy and enforcement is inherently a federal issue. The Key West Police Department is not and will not be involved in immigration enforcement. That being said, I would not want an ordinance that ties the police department’s hands in apprehending people who have violent criminal histories that are illegal immigrants, just like we would for legal immigrants,” he said.

Weekley had hoped to have the resolution on the commission agenda in January but a series of delays have pushed it back until probably May, he said. First, he is waiting to see how Florida State legislators rule on several proposals that would gut “home rule” laws allowing local governments to act without state oversight. Then, he is working with City Attorney Shawn Smith on the wording of the resolution. Because of Trump’s funding threat, Weekley is considering following West Palm Beach’s lead and changing the name of the resolution from sanctuary city to “welcoming city.”

“That’s what we’re going to be, a welcoming city and protect our citizens from harassment,” he said.

Weekley estimates that approximately 25 percent of the city’s workforce are immigrants, many of them here illegal because they did not renew their expired visas. But even illegal workers help keep the Key West tourist economy running.

“I know a number of business owners who employ a lot of immigrants. They’re all concerned about what the impact would be if they [federal authorities] came down and raided these businesses. If they come down, there would be no assistance from our law enforcement agency,” Weekley said.

Weekley’s proposal is not that local police would interfere with federal immigration authorities but that all departments within the city, including law enforcement, would never ask a person for their immigration status. That would include someone pulled over by police or someone applying for a building permit or street vendor license.

As part of Trump’s effort to find and deport illegal immigrants, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on March 26 that any state or local government applying for certain law enforcement grants must certify they are complying with the current law – put in place by President Bill Clinton in 1996 – that requires local officials to pass along immigration status information about a person in police custody to the Department of Homeland Security. A number of cities much larger than Key West, including New York, Boston and Miami, have declared themselves sanctuary cities and Sessions’ effort was aimed at discouraging those actions. At risk is $4.1 billion in law enforcement grants allocated by the U.S. Department of Justice this year.

Weekley said he isn’t worried that even a “welcoming city” resolution would put Key West in the federal government’s crosshairs. First, any effort to deny federal grants would likely be challenged in the courts. And secondly, it’s the right thing to do, he said, comparing welcoming city to “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which helped protect gay men and women in the military.

“With this type of [Trump Administration] government, I don’t mind being at odds with them. I’m sorry, but I think a lot of rights are being taken away,” Weekley said.

A potential problem with getting a welcoming city resolution passed, however, is that Weekley may not have enough support from his own colleagues. That is another reason for the delay in putting a resolution on the commission agenda.

“I don’t want to bring something forward unless I think it can pass. Right now, I’m not sure,” Weekley said.

One “nay” vote may come from Mayor Craig Cates, who said he could not support a sanctuary city resolution. While he does not advocate a crackdown on illegal immigrants already living in Key West, he worried that becoming a sanctuary city would encourage others to move here, further exacerbating the lack of affordable housing.

“We don’t have enough places for them now. It’s even going to make it worse,” he said. “If they [illegal immigrants] are here already, I don’t have a problem with that. If they make us a sanctuary city, more will come”

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