Sanctuary policies promote fairness

We all share common hopes. We want our children to grow up surrounded by love and friendship, and for our families to remain healthy. We want our homes to be sanctuaries from the pressures of the outside world and for our pocketbooks and communities to be economically sound. These hopes extend across our country and are shared by all Americans — including immigrants who call the United States home.

Policies keeping local law enforcement out of federal immigration activities, frequently referred to as sanctuary policies, help fulfill these hopes. Sanctuary policies promote fair treatment and equal footing for all our neighbors, no matter where they were born.

Sanctuary policies also make our communities safer and more prosperous. A recent report from the Center for American Progress found that crime is statistically significantly lower in sanctuary counties compared with non- sanctuary counties, and counties with sanctuary policies are economically stronger.

Sanctuary policies reflect the reality that immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government, not local police. They are rooted in the moral desire to uphold the Constitution and a commonsense desire to protect the well- being of residents. By enacting robust sanctuary policies, local jurisdictions, such as Cook County, Ill., ensure equal treatment for all, including those who have been in contact with the criminal legal system.

The messiness of our human experience means we make mistakes. Immigrants who have made mistakes are already held accountable for their actions in our criminal legal system. Once anybody — immigrant or otherwise — has paid his debt to society, he should be given the opportunity to reunite with family and continue his life.

Doing otherwise creates double punishment.

Creating a redundant system of justice in which immigrants face extra punishment via deportation after paying that debt is not the answer. Making exceptions to our country’s longstanding commitment to fair and equal treatment under the law indicates we have begun to abandon the values that make us great.