The Case for Sanctuary Cities

I. The concept of sanctuary cities is rooted in the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980s where
churches spearheaded efforts to provide refuge to Central Americans fleeing civil wars in
their home countries. We seek to uphold this spirit and reaffirm immigrant and human rights
in face of repressive immigration proposals that threaten to separate families and destabilize
our diverse communities.
II. Immigrants rights are human rights: In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly
unanimously adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which, for the first
time, codified the basic human rights of all people. It contains 30 articles that delineate
specific rights belonging to all human beings everywhere, such as civil and political rights as
well as economic, social and cultural rights. Since the adoption of the UDHR, the United
States has ratified several other human rights treaties, including the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention to End All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and
the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment. By ratifying these treaties, the United States has incurred binding international
obligations to respect and ensure protection of the human rights recognized in these treaties.
However, in spite of the guarantees afforded by the UDHR and these treaties, it is clear that
persons attempting to enter the United States and immigrants already living in our country
continue to face violations of their human rights. The Green Party of the Pikes Peak Region
and associated organizations agree that current anti-immigrant rhetoric and repressive
immigration policies being proposed exemplify the United States failure to ensure fairness
and dignity to immigrants. It is therefore imperative that the City of Colorado Springs respond
by implementing Sanctuary City status, which would benefit our city in the following ways:

1. Sanctuary City status would promote trust and ensure residents know that theyre safe
accessing City services as City employees would not report Colorado Springs residents
or their immigration status to federal immigration agents when they go to a public health
clinic, enroll their children in school, report a crime, etc. All residents should feel safe
when calling the police and fire departments during emergencies.
2. Sanctuary City status would promote equal rights for all citizens, regardless of their
immigration status by preventing discrimination and racial profiling. It would also revitalize
our commitment to the UDHR and other human rights treaties.
3. Sanctuary City status would facilitate community policing efforts so that members of the
community, including immigrants, can safely work to prevent and solve crime.
4. Sanctuary City status would uphold the Tenth Amendment, which provides for the
separation of federal and state powers. It also prevents the federal government from
coercing state or local governments to use their resources to enforce a federal regulatory
program, like immigration.
1. CITY OF REFUGE.
It is hereby affirmed that the City of Colorado Springs is a City of Refuge.

2. USE OF CITY FUNDS PROHIBITED.

No department, agency, commission, officer or employee of the City of Colorado Springs shall use any
City funds or resources to assist in the enforcement of federal immigration law or to gather or disseminate
information regarding the immigration status of individuals in the City of Colorado Springs unless such
assistance is required by federal or State statute, regulation or court decision. The prohibition set forth in
this Chapter shall include, but shall not be limited to:

(a) Assisting or cooperating, in one's official capacity, with any Immigration and Customs Enforcement
investigation, detention, or arrest procedures, public or clandestine, relating to alleged violations of the
civil provisions of the federal immigration law.

(b) Assisting or cooperating, in one's official capacity, with any investigation, surveillance or gathering of
information conducted by foreign governments, except for cooperation related to an alleged violation of
City, State or federal criminal laws.

(c) Requesting information about, or disseminating information regarding, the immigration status of any
individual, or conditioning the provision of services or benefits by the City of Colorado Springs upon
immigration status, except as required by federal or State statute or regulation, City public assistance
criteria, or court decision.

(d) Including on any application, questionnaire or interview form used in relation to benefits, services or
opportunities provided by the City of Colorado Springs any question regarding immigration status other
than those required by federal or State statute, regulation or court decision. Any such questions existing
or being used by the City at the time this Chapter is adopted shall be deleted within sixty days of the
adoption of this Chapter.

Nothing herein shall be construed or implemented so as to discourage any person, regardless of

immigration status, from reporting criminal activity to law enforcement agencies.

3. ENFORCEMENT.
The Human Relations Commission shall review the compliance of the City departments, agencies,
commissions and employees with the mandates of this ordinance in particular instances in which there is
question of noncompliance or when a complaint alleging noncompliance has been lodged.

4. CITY UNDERTAKING LIMITED TO PROMOTION OF GENERAL WELFARE.

In undertaking the adoption and enforcement of this Chapter, the City is assuming an undertaking only to
promote the general welfare. This Chapter is not intended to create any new rights for breach of which
the City is liable in money damages to any person who claims that such breach proximately caused
injury. This section shall not be construed to limit or proscribe any other existing rights or remedies
possessed by such person.

5. SEVERABILITY.
If any part of this ordinance, or the application thereof, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this
ordinance shall not be affected thereby, and this ordinance shall otherwise continue in full force and
effect. To this end, the provisions of this ordinance, and each of them, are severable.