I commend the Amherst Select Board, which voted March 20 to support the sanctuary community bylaw (“Board backs sanctuary initiative,” March 24).
Members of the Select Board acted prudently, with concern for all members of our community, including local law enforcement officials as well as documented and undocumented immigrants.
I would like to set the record straight about a common misconception – namely that sanctuary status would prohibit the Amherst Police Department from enforcing our country’s immigration laws. This is simply not true.
The responsibility of enforcing the Immigration and Nationality Act belongs to two federal agencies — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection. Being present in the U.S. without lawful immigration does not make someone a criminal, because immigration status is a civil and not a criminal matter.
Furthermore, local police forces are not required to enforce federal immigration law. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that local law enforcement officials do not have the authority to stop or detain people for suspected violations of civil immigration law, according to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. Nor do local police departments have the legal responsibility to comply with ICE officials seeking to detain or deport anyone. Police departments in hundreds of jurisdictions around the country have made a decision not to cooperate or comply with ICE.
ICE officials have resorted to masquerading as local police officers for the purpose of retaining people; this just happened a few days ago in Hartford, Connecticut. This dangerous policy breeds mistrust and keeps vulnerable people from calling the police when they’re in trouble.
Sanctuary does not require that anyone violate the law. Quite the contrary, it makes us all safe.
Lynn M. Morgan
Amherst
