Don’t Force ‘Sanctuary Cities’ To Do Fed’s Job

Conservative commentators characterize sanctuary cities as legal apostates, but the principles in practice in sanctuary cities share little with that description. It’s the latest example of the Right’s inability to parse the weeds of reality, seeking to find comforting answers attuned to black and white and good vs. evil.

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Undocumented Immigration Discretion In A Nation Of Laws

It is against the law to cross the border illegally. That is what Republicans say, as if to educate the rest of us. Oh, and thanks for the redundancy! They tell us we are a “nation of laws,” and those laws must be enforced. It’s as if they are saying, “I would be more compassionate, but the law has my hands tied.” They are not against immigration, they tell us, but people need to immigrate the right way, because it is deeply unfair that some people skip to the front of the line.

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Is The Term ‘Anchor Baby’ Offensive?

Donald Trump has repeatedly used the the term “anchor baby” on the Republican presidential campaign trail. But, is the term “anchor baby” offensive? I think that is the wrong question. And it’s especially the wrong question when asked of the purveyor.

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On Obama Immigration Order, Republicans Push Wrong Panic Button

At a time when Republicans should be pushing the panic button on their increasingly difficult electoral college math, instead they are stampeding in reaction to President Obama’s immigration executive action. Republicans and conservative pundits call Obama’s use of executive order anything from “executive fiat” to “executive amnesty” to a “constitutional crisis.” Pay no attention to the fact that Obama did nothing unusual in comparison to the executive orders issued by presidents over the past half century.

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Immigration Reform: Republicans Require Politically Advantageous Human Rights

Have you noticed this trend? — Republicans have a nasty habit of waiting until their position is politically untenable before they shift course and adopt a specific human rights cause. They do it time and time again. And let me clarify, I’m not talking about all Republicans, I’m talking about — old school, head in the sand, my way or the highway, cling to my guns and my religion — right-wing extremists. The problem is that many Republicans and conservatives have a hard time ignoring what should be the fringe and instead cater to it. So while not all Republicans have gone AWOL on human benevolence, all Republicans are culpable for the offensive and out of touch rhetoric and policies of their party.

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A Thought On Punishing Undocumented Immigrants

Jimmy Smits - "Congressman Matthew Santos" -- The West WingWhile watching “The West Wing” episode titled (“La Palabra”, 3/9/2005), I was struck by a line delivered by Jimmy Smit’s character, congressman Matthew Santos. He was having a conversation with the governor of California, discussing a bill that had passed the state legislature and was awaiting a signature or veto from the governor. The bill would ban undocumented immigrants from obtaining a driver’s license.

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