House Passes Bill Prohibiting Immigrant Sanctuary Cities
The Chattanoogan (TN), June 5, 2009
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_152642.asp
A bill that aims to curb illegal immigration by prohibiting local governments from enacting 'sanctuary' ordinances, or policies that make it difficult for law enforcement and other local government employees to comply with federal immigration law, was approved in the state House on Friday morning.
Rep. Joe Carr (R-Lascassas) said, 'I am very pleased to see that my colleagues in the House agree that something must be done on the state level to combat illegal immigration.
'I made a promise to the voters that I would work on illegal immigration legislation, and I have worked hard on this bill. Its a solid piece of legislation, and I believe that my colleagues saw that today as it passed the House overwhelmingly.'
A 'sanctuary city' is a term given to a city in the United States that follows certain practices to protect illegal aliens. Thirty-eight cities in the U.S. have been recognized as sanctuary cities, but many sources have identified over 200 city or county governments nationwide as having practiced such policies.
'Rep. Carr did an excellent job guiding this legislation through a sometimes hostile committee system, and he kept fighting because he knew it was right,' said House Republican Leader Jason Mumpower. 'House Republicans have fought for passage of this bill for many years, and we are pleased to see that Rep. Carr didnt give up on it.'
House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada said, 'We have worked on this legislation for several years now, and we are very appreciative that Rep. Carr refused to let it die. This legislation is a pre-emptive strike to guard against the adoptions of sanctuary policies by cities in the state, and I believe it will do a great deal to curb illegal immigration in some of our communities.'
