INSIDE COMPLIANCE

As the Trump administration ushers in a new era of mass deportation and hysteria, “sanctuary” communities like Chicago are more important now than ever. The term “sanctuary” generally refers to states, counties or cities that have policies that limit the extent to which a local officials will cooperate with federal agencies’ efforts to deport undocumented persons. Recently, regulations concerning detention and deportations of undocumented immigrants have rapidly devolved, along with what protections they offered to these communities. Previous regulations were similarly deferential to federal enforcement agencies, particularly U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). However, the current administration is actively working to broaden federal authorities’ power to deport immigrants who are not lawfully in the U.S. and have been accused, rather than convicted, of crimes. One way the administration seeks to do so is by loosening its regulation of the methods ICE may use to conduct arrests as well as the role state and local law enforcement may play in such operations. Biden administration’s discontinuing the practice of mass immigration sweeps at worksites such as factories is just one of the limitations that has been discarded. This leaves already fragile protections for undocumented persons to the wayside, resulting in unnecessary harm and suffering to thousands of undocumented persons and citizens.