Liberal Tucson Arizona Rejects Plan To Be Sanctuary City

(Associated Press) TUCSON Ariz. After Arizona passed a law that required local police to check the immigration status of people suspected to be in the country illegally the states second-largest city wanted to send a message. The Democrats who control Tucson designated their town an immigrant welcoming city" in 2012 and the police department adopted rules limiting when officers can ask about the immigration status of people they encounter. But on Tuesday given the chance to push the envelope further the heavily Democratic city voted overwhelmingly not to become an official sanctuary city" with more restrictions on how and when police officers can enforce immigration laws. The incongruous result followed a contentious disagreement that divided progressives between those eager to stand up for immigrants and against President Donald Trump and those who said the initiative would bring nothing more than unintended consequences. The city of Tucson in all respects except being labeled as such operates as a sanctuary city" Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said in an interview before the vote. The sanctuary initiative he argued would have tied the hands of police even on matters unrelated to immigration while inviting expensive retaliation from the Trump administration and Republicans in the state Legislature.