ABSTRACT
This chapter considers how a federal system shapes immigration policy, focusing on the role and status of sanctuary cities in the United States. Some jurisdictions make a formal declaration of their status, while others function as a de facto sanctuary by omitting to cooperate in sharing information with the federal government. The sanctuary movement was organised by churches and religious groups to provide refuge for Central Americans fleeing the civil wars taking place in El Salvador and Guatemala during the 1980s. It was set up to confront the Reagan administration, which was funding the military regimes in both countries yet declined to recognise those fleeing violence and persecution as political refugees. Sanctuary city laws have since been enacted in many other cities, including New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Santa Clara, Minneapolis, and Houston. Trump had been hostile to sanctuary cities since the election campaign and remained a constant critic in office.
