Local Lawmakers Quotes Supporting Sanctuary Cities

Despite fears from many citizens and community leaders about the potential dangers of sanctuary cities, some lawmakers maintain the idea can help their cities. Their quotes often focus on welcoming illegal immigrants to their cities.

Here are five quotes from local lawmakers who continue to support sanctuary cities:

“We cannot turn a blind eye to undocumented immigrants. Let’s embrace them. Let’s work with them. If they do well, our communities will actually thrive.”
— Mayor Wilda Diaz of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, International Business Times

Urgent: Do You Support Immigration Reform?

“We’re a free zone over here in Newark. We’re going to move forward with our plans to try to bring our undocumented community into safety here.”
— Ras Baraka, mayor of New Jersey’s largest city, International Business Times

“We welcome you, step forward. It’s a no brainer. The folks are already there in our communities.”
— Monica Fuente, a coordinator for Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s “Welcoming Atlanta” campaign, International Business Times

When Kathryn Steinle was killed in San Francisco in July 2015 by a man who had been deported five times, city officials were called on to reconsider the sanctuary city status.

But some continued to support the sanctuary policy.

“I think it’s terrible what happened to Kathryn. I am not going to let one extremely unfortunate situation frame the policy.”
— Malia Cohen, who sits on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, the San Francisco Chronicle

Tell Us: Should Illegals Be Allowed to Apply for US Citizenship?

“We have to get smart and understand the vast majority of these undocumented immigrants are following the law, working hard, raising their children, paying taxes – and we have to provide a pathway for them. … Sanctuary cities evolved around the idea that we also don’t want to deny access to public safety, public health, public education for anyone who is living … in our community.”
— California Attorney General Kamala Harris, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, the San Francisco Chronicle.

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