Debunking the Myth of "Sanctuary Cities": Community Policing Policies Protect American Communities

There is much confusion about the term "sanctuary city." The term is often used derisively by immigration opponents to blast what are best described as community policing policies. Critics claim that these cities and states provide "sanctuary" to undocumented immigrants, but research shows that the opposite is true.

This report concludes that "sanctuary city" is not an accurate term for cities with community policing policies; state and local police departments around the country support community policing policies because they help immigrants work with the police to put criminals behind bars; and crime experts, as well as advocates for crime victims, agree that community policing policies are essential to protecting the entire community and encouraging immigrants to access police protection.

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