So San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee has clarified what that means going forward. No longer will non-repeat offending, non-violent offenders be asked for their immigration status automatically. If a juvenile is detained for a non-violent, non-felony offense, he or she may be reunited with his or her family, so long as certain conditions are met. They must be enrolled in a school, they must reside in the Bay Area, and the Federal Government must not specifically ask for them to be detained.
Mayor Lee developed his new approach to sanctuary status after his conversations with ICE and DHS revealed a confused federal approach on immigration.
From the San Francisco Examiner:
San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee told the SF Board of Supervisors yesterday that he’s been working with local juvenile authorities to adjust the city’s policy regarding undocumented minors that are caught up in the juvenile justice system.
Lee told the board that under certain conditions, undocumented juveniles who have immediate families living in the Bay Area could be reunited with them instead of just being deported. He said he’d recently been reviewing San Francisco’s ‘sanctuary city’ ordinance, looking at the difference between youth that have family in the area and those who don’t, with the idea of reuniting the youths to their families if it’s deemed appropriate.
After his appearance before the supervisors, Mayor Lee clarified his position to reporters.
Read the full article here.