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b'On November 14, 2019, the Federalist Society\'s Criminal Law & Procedure Practice Group hosted a panel for the 2019 National Lawyers Convention at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. The panel discussed "The Wisdom and Legality of Sanctuary Cities".
The issue of sanctuary cities has increasingly been in the news in recent years. The Trump administration has threatened to cut off funds to sanctuary jurisdictions and to transport aliens who enter our borders to those jurisdictions, and also claims that these jurisdictions are endangering their citizens. Sanctuary jurisdictions have challenged (so far successfully) the administration’s ability to cut off funds, and has cited the 10th Amendment, among other arguments, to support their actions. They also argue that being a sanctuary jurisdiction actually helps their law enforcement efforts by encouraging illegal immigrants (who are often victims or witnesses of criminal conduct) to “come out of the shadows” and cooperate with law enforcement officials. A Massachusetts judge and her bailiff were recently indicted for helping assisting an illegal alien escape the clutches of an ICE agent who was waiting to arrest him, and federal authorities are still contemplating charges against Oakland’s mayor for warning illegal aliens that immigration authorities were about to conduct raids looking for them. We could debate the legal and moral questions surrounding sanctuary cities.
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As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speakers.
Featuring:

Hon. Stephanos Bibas, United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
Mr. Mark Fleming, Associate Director of Litigation, National Immigrant Justice Center
Mr. Christopher Hajec, Director of Litigation, Immigration Reform Law Institute
Hon. Jefferson B. Sessions III, Former United States Attorney General
Prof. Ilya Somin, Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University
Moderator: Hon. Kurt D. Engelhardt, Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Introduction: John G. Malcolm, Vice President, Institute for Constitutional Government, Director of the Meese Center for Legal & Judicial Studies and Senior Legal Fellow, The Heritage Foundation'