Issue Position: It's Time to Cut Off Sanctuary Cities

Issue Position

"Sanctuary cities" are local governments -- towns, cities, and counties -- that prevent or discourage their law enforcement officers from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. In hundreds of such jurisdictions across the country, illegal immigrants who commit crimes can often be released, free to endanger their communities again, without federal authorities ever having the chance to remove them from the country.

Fortunately, the federal government can do something about it. Marco is fighting for legislation to end sanctuary cities that will:

* Cut sanctuary cities off from certain federal grant programs, including law-enforcement and community-development grants
* Allocate those funds to local governments that do allow their law enforcement to work with federal immigration authorities
* Mandate that DHS publicly list which cities and towns are sanctuary jurisdictions and the number of federal law enforcement requests have been ignored by each
* Make clear that local law enforcement has the right to cooperate with federal law enforcement, while also making it clear that this does not reduce individuals' constitutional protections
* Increase the penalties for illegal immigrants who return to the U.S. after removal, and impose mandatory minimums for those who return after being convicted of an aggravated felony or being deported two or more times

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