Despite White House threats, city leaders resist immigration orders By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.30.17 Word Count 430 Georgia Cordova (center) of El Paso, Texas, joins other protesters as they take part in a No Ban, No Wall rally to support the rights of immigrants and oppose a border wall and support sanctuary cities, February 28, 2017, at the State Capitol in Austin, Texas. Photo by: AP Photo/Eric Gay NEW YORK, N.Y. City officials across the country are at odds with President Donald Trump over immigration. Many cities in the U.S. have declared themselves "sanctuary cities." A sanctuary city is a place that allows immigrants who entered the country without the proper permission to live safely without fear of being deported. President Donald Trump's administration recently said it wants to go after these cities. City leaders across the U.S. plan to fight back. Melissa Mark-Viverito is a City Council leader in New York. She said city officials will be Donald Trump's "worst nightmare." She went to a gathering of leaders from U.S. cities including San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Chicago and Philadelphia. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
New York Officials Will Not Cooperate New York officials have a plan. They will block cooperation between city police and federal immigration agents. Jeff Sessions is the attorney general, the chief lawyer for the United States. He warned cities that protect undocumented immigrants. He said that it is against the law and could be harmful. The federal government gives grants to cities. It could stop giving money to any city that breaks federal immigration law, though. Cities may have to prove they are following the law before they can get a grant. Trump Targets Immigrants When Trump was running for president, he regularly spoke about violent crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. In January, he issued an order. It said that the government will put together a weekly list of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. At the White House, Sessions spoke about two murders committed by immigrants. These undocumented immigrants were released by local police. They were wanted by federal agents. Immigrants Do Not Increase The Crime Rate City leaders say that these crimes are rare. There are an estimated 11 million immigrants living in the country without permission. There is no evidence that crime among immigrants is higher than people born in the United States. Helen Gym is a member of the Philadelphia City Council. She said immigrants play an important role in the U.S. She doesn't think they are dangerous. Instead, she thinks immigrants may be in danger. City officials shared stories of immigrants in their cities who were arrested by federal immigration agents. Some immigrants were at their children's schools. Some were at courthouses. Gym said some people have used Trump's extreme immigration beliefs to treat immigrants unfairly. Lourdes Rosado is a lawyer in New York. She says that sanctuary cities are following the law. "It's voluntary whether or not to cooperate," Rosado said. She said that cities may have to settle this in court, though. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2
Quiz 1 Which sentence from the article BEST explains how city officials plan to resist the Trump administration's immigration orders? She said city officials will be Donald Trump's "worst nightmare." They will block cooperation between city police and federal immigration agents. Cities may have to prove they are following the law before they can get a grant. She says that sanctuary cities are following the law. 2 Based on the article, which of the following statements is TRUE? Studies suggest that crime among immigrants is higher than people born in the United States. Jeff Sessions believes federal agents have not done enough to try to arrest illegal immigrants. Many places across the United States have become sanctuary cities without realizing it. The government may only give money to cities that cooperate with its immigration orders. 3 According to the article, what is a MAIN difference between the points of view of Trump and sanctuary city leaders? Trump believes that there should be a list of crimes committed by immigrants. Sanctuary city leaders believe that immigrants never commit crime. Trump believes that cities should follow the laws of the United States. Sanctuary city leaders believe that there are no laws about sanctuary cities. Trump believes that illegal immigrants are a danger to cities. Sanctuary city leaders believe illegal immigrants are the ones in danger. Trump believes that millions of illegal immigrants are moving to United States cities. Sanctuary city leaders believe no more immigrants are moving to the U.S. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3
4 What is the purpose of this statement from the end of the article? "It's voluntary whether or not to cooperate," Rosado said. She said that cities may have to settle this in court, though. It shows that the decisions and actions of sanctuary cities have been supported by the courts. It shows that disagreement about whether sanctuary cities can protect immigrants will continue. It shows that hundreds of lawyers are volunteering their time to help support sanctuary cities. It shows that cities will probably have to cooperate with the Trump administration's rules. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4
Answer Key 1 Which sentence from the article BEST explains how city officials plan to resist the Trump administration's immigration orders? She said city officials will be Donald Trump's "worst nightmare." They will block cooperation between city police and federal immigration agents. Cities may have to prove they are following the law before they can get a grant. She says that sanctuary cities are following the law. 2 Based on the article, which of the following statements is TRUE? Studies suggest that crime among immigrants is higher than people born in the United States. Jeff Sessions believes federal agents have not done enough to try to arrest illegal immigrants. Many places across the United States have become sanctuary cities without realizing it. The government may only give money to cities that cooperate with its immigration orders. 3 According to the article, what is a MAIN difference between the points of view of Trump and sanctuary city leaders? Trump believes that there should be a list of crimes committed by immigrants. Sanctuary city leaders believe that immigrants never commit crime. Trump believes that cities should follow the laws of the United States. Sanctuary city leaders believe that there are no laws about sanctuary cities. Trump believes that illegal immigrants are a danger to cities. Sanctuary city leaders believe illegal immigrants are the ones in danger. Trump believes that millions of illegal immigrants are moving to United States cities. Sanctuary city leaders believe no more immigrants are moving to the U.S. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5
4 What is the purpose of this statement from the end of the article? "It's voluntary whether or not to cooperate," Rosado said. She said that cities may have to settle this in court, though. It shows that the decisions and actions of sanctuary cities have been supported by the courts. It shows that disagreement about whether sanctuary cities can protect immigrants will continue. It shows that hundreds of lawyers are volunteering their time to help support sanctuary cities. It shows that cities will probably have to cooperate with the Trump administration's rules. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 6