SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - The city of Santa Fe is reconsidering using the term “sanctuary city” in a resolution reaffirming immigrant-friendly policies as President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold federal funds.
Marcela Diaz, a member of the city’s Immigration Committee and executive director of Somos un Pueblo Unido, a Santa Fe-based non-profit group that advocates for immigrants’ rights, said on Tuesday that the word “sanctuary” has been removed from a proposed resolution designed to emphasize Santa Fe’s positions on using law-enforcement resources to question citizens’ immigration status and other immigrant-friendly policies.
The resolution restates a policy under which local police have operated since 1999.
Diaz said the term “sanctuary city” has no legal definition. The resolution’s councilor sponsors wanted it to be as legally defensible as possible.
The move to back away from specific language comes in an effort to gain support among city council members who don’t want to go head-to-head with the Trump administration.
City Councilor Joseph Maestas, who is sponsoring the proposed resolution, was previously quoted as saying the policy is a way of “thumbing our nose at” the Trump administration. On Tuesday he said the council is more cautious.
“To be honest with you, there’s some councilors that are a little skeptical,” he said. “They don’t think we should be calling attention to Santa Fe. They don’t think that we should be provoking any kind of response from the Trump administration, so we are trying to strike a balance in including language that’s much more moderate and acceptable to other city councilors.”
Maestas said at the end of the day, changing the words doesn’t change the meaning.
“The use of the term ’sanctuary city’ also was not used in past related policy action,” he said. “I feel removing the term will not in any way, shape or form diminish the intent and the content of the resolution.”
The resolution is scheduled to be considered by the Finance Committee Feb. 13. At that time there will be a public hearing. The earliest it could come before the full City Council is Feb. 23.
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