Steve Balich Editor Note:
I don’t get what the Governor, Senate, and House is thinking! The illegal immigration is a huge issue costing an over taxed citizenship more and more money in education, healthcare, food stamps, prisons, police, and on and on. The State is broke and is most likely going to stop receiving any funding from the Federal Government. There is no logical reason other than the quest for big government to make Illinois a sanctuary State. If Rauner signs this into law he can kiss his election goodbye because numerous fed up citizens from both parties won’t vote or will skip voting for Governor. SB31 is crossing the red line for too many voters, who can’t hold their nose enough to vote for any person that was in favor of putting this on the taxpayer in Illinois. Incumbents from both parties risk their next election with a vote for SB31. They don’t care about Public Safety or how high our taxes go. Maybe the idea is to fill the State with anyone who will come to replace the huge number of people leaving.
Illinois Politicians Turn Illinois into a ‘Sanctuary State’
Written By John Biver
Most everyone has heard about “sanctuary cities” during the past few years due to the attention they received during the presidential election. But have you heard of sanctuary states? How about sanctuary government buildings? Governor Bruce Rauner has agreed to sign SB 31 into law — a bill that will make taxpayer funded facilities sanctuaries for people who are here illegally.
Here is one summary of what “sanctuary” means:
While the United States Justice Department begins to pursue withholding federal funds from cities like Chicago for their refusal to cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement officials, our governor and General Assembly are about to enlarge the controversy, expected to cost the state billions of dollars.
Thomas Lifson at American Thinker wrote about the potential tally for just Chicago alone: Oops! Trump’s ‘sanctuary city’ penalties could cost Chicago $3.6 billion.
If the Trump Administration wins this fight (ultimately in the courts), it’s easy to figure the cost to Illinois taxpayers will be many times that Chicago estimate.
Money isn’t the only issue. The status of sanctuary state also creates a potential public safety issue.
This is from the General Assembly’s website page for SB 31 — I have separated them into bullet points for easier reading:
The list continues, but you get the drift.
The opinion divide on crime rates in sanctuary cities separates just as you would expect. “Sanctuary” proponents claim crime rates are not higher where illegal alien populations are greater, sanctuary opponents say crime rates are higher. Both sides cite studies to back up their contention.
What are the facts? In an April article at The Hill, Ron Martinelli, former minority community violent crimes detective, wrote:
His article, “The truth about crime, illegal immigrants and sanctuary cities,” is worth your time. It is packed with important information to consider.
Another article to read is from Scott Erickson, posted at the Heritage Foundation’s Daily Signal website back in February: “The Truth About Sanctuary Cities and Crime Rates.” After a survey of the statistics, he writes:
Let’s take another look at the kind of facilities that will be made into sanctuaries by Bruce Rauner signing SB 31:
- State-funded schools, including
- licensed day care centers,
- pre-schools, and
- other early learning programs;
- elementary and secondary schools, and
- institutions of higher education…
Is Illinois about to endanger children by preventing law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officials?
Again, from the SB 31 web page:
With Chicago’s murder rate and Illinois’ fiscal condition, is this really the time to have our state “harbor federal fugitives who have broken federal immigration law by crossing the border illegally”?
“Harboring federal fugitives” sure sounds different than the act of providing a “sanctuary,” doesn’t it?
Earlier this month, Illinois Review reported that according to the communications director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, “Signing SB 31 into law would make Illinois the state most open to illegal aliens besides California”:
“Not only would it make Illinois open to those in the country illegally, it could create dangerous situations for the public and add more financial burdens to the state,” Dave Ray said. “And isn’t the state of Illinois already having financial difficulties?”
To learn more about the current and historic legal tussle between the feds and the states, read this article by Douglas V. Gibbs: Sanctuary Cities Violate Supremacy Clause.
The Illinois Senate passed SB 31 on May 4th by a vote of 31-21, and the Illinois House passed it on May 29th by a vote of 62-49. The bill has been on Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk since June 29th.
Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to Gov. Bruce Rauner to ask him to veto this legislation. We only have a short window of opportunity to speak out.
ALSO: please call the public comment lines in the Governor’s office in Springfield: (217) 782-0244 and Chicago (312) 814-2121.
https://www.votervoice.net/ILFI/Campaigns/54079/Respond
