Statement for the House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security on “Sanctuary Cities: A Threat to Public Safety”

The American Immigration Council submitted a written statement to the House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security for a July 23, 2015 hearing on “Sanctuary Cities: A threat to public safety.” The statement recognizes the tragic death of Kathryn Steinle, but emphasizes that we need comprehensive immigration reform in the United States shaped by empirical data, and not polcies influenced by fear and sterotypes. The statement explains our recent research which shows that immigrants are less likely to commit serious crimes than native-born persons, and that high rates of immigration are associated with lower rates of violent crime and property crime. We also analyze the failures of detainers and “enforcement first” immigration reform.