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Sanctuary Cities: Buffalo Law Journal Interviews Managing Partner Rosanna Berardi

R02The Buffalo Law Journal recently interviewed Berardi Immigration Law’s Managing Partner, Rosanna Berardi, regarding a hot topic in the immigration world: sanctuary cities. In the article, published on August 24, 2015, several Buffalo immigration attorneys discuss the negative and positive aspects of sanctuary cities and the toll they will have this political season.
For those unfamiliar with the term, a sanctuary city refers to municipalities that instruct local and state enforcement not to advise federal immigration officials of the fact that they have someone in custody for an alleged criminal violation if they suspect that individual does not have lawful immigration status in the U.S. There are more than 200 U.S. cities considered sanctuary cities, including Los Angeles, New York City, San Diego, and Philadelphia.
When crimes occur in such cities people increasingly question whether certain places should protect those who are in violation of the law, Rosanna said. That portrays sanctuary cities in a negative light. Rosanna also said that she would be surprised if there was ever a sanctuary city designated in the local Buffalo region. In nearly two decades of immigration work and being in close contact with CBP, she has seen no indication of that happening.
With the presidential election quickly approaching and debate about immigration spilling over into the race for the GOP nomination, Rosanna said sanctuary cities have become a hot button issue. “It’s been a political hot potato because, on one hand, it’s a city’s way of addressing an overwhelming number of illegal immigrants,” Rosanna said. “On the other hand, immigration law is a federal law and typically federal law trumps anything that states do.”
See the full article here
Published since 1929, the Buffalo Law Journal is a newspaper of general circulation serving Western New York and is a leading source for public record, legal job listings and stories about law and business in Buffalo and beyond.
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