‘Sanctuary’and lawbreaking

Re “ ‘Sanctuary’ as battleground,” Opinion, Aug. 22

Ronald Brownstein fails to acknowledge that “sanctuary cities” not only encourage further lawbreaking by offering refuge to illegal immigrants, but also contribute to unfunded mandates to cover the resulting hospital, incarceration and educational costs.

Because most of these costs are then unfairly borne by the American taxpayer, they should have some recourse against those sanctuary cities. If the federal government will not cut off funds to the offending cities, perhaps citizens should have access to filing class-action lawsuits against their local governments for nonsupport.

All local law enforcement officials have a responsibility to request proper identification when they detain anyone for probable cause. If it is determined that a person is in the U.S. illegally, he or she should immediately be turned over to the proper federal law enforcement authorities for deportation.

Promoting sanctuary cities is totally antithetical to protecting the sovereignty of our nation.

Jim Redhead

San Diego

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Brownstein, in reporting on a New York policy regarding when city workers may inquire about or report immigration status to the federal government, has finally clarified “crime” for us: It is not a crime to be in this country illegally unless you have committed some other crime. And here I thought that being here illegally was defined as a crime by federal law.

Forrest Bonner

Huntington Beach

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Talk about being unclear. Checking immigration status at schools, ERs and police stations will certainly encourage illegal aliens to “abandon those services.” That’s the point. By making it less pleasant and more expensive to remain here, many will self-deport.

Randle C. Sink

Huntington Beach