Attorney General Alan Wilson, 7 States Support Laws Banning Sanctuary Cities

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) — September 20, 2017 South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined a multistate coalition in supporting the right of individual states to prohibit sanctuary cities within their borders.

Sanctuary jurisdictions — cities and localities that prohibit or otherwise obstruct cooperation between federal and local officials on immigration enforcement — defy the rule of law and deprive law enforcement of the tools necessary for effective civil and criminal enforcement.

“I swore an oath to uphold the law when I took office and sanctuary cities scoff at the rule of law,” Attorney General Wilson said.

Prohibiting sanctuary cities helps uphold federal immigration laws and provide law enforcement with additional and necessary tools to identify drug offenders who unlawfully enter the country.

Jurisdictions such as those could have a detrimental effect on South Carolina and her citizens.

This week’s brief seeks to upend an injunction enjoining a sanctuary city ban in Texas from taking effect. The state law requires local entities and officials to not interfere with federal immigration enforcement. It also places certain duties and liabilities on certain persons in the criminal justice system, provides civil penalties and creates a criminal offense for violating those provisions.

In June, West Virginia and Louisiana led 10 states in defending President Trump’s executive order that directs the federal government to take lawful actions to ensure compliance with laws prohibiting sanctuary cities.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry filed this week’s brief with Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Carolina.

A copy of the order is available here.