Yesterday, Spectrum News reported that Hudson is one of the cities that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security considers to be "sanctuary jurisdictions defying federal immigration law": "Homeland Security targets sanctuary jurisdictions across upstate New York." The article quotes DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as saying, "These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens."
The news of Hudson's inclusion on the list was also reported today in the Register-Star: "City of Hudson on DHS sanctuary city list." Commenting on the situation, Mayor Kamal Johnson said Hudson is technically not a sanctuary city but rather a "friendly and accepting city." The actual language of the resolution passed on March 21, 2017, is "welcoming and inclusive" not "friendly and accepting." Johnson went on to say that Hudson will continue to ensure the safety of its citizens.
In an interesting parallel, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported today that Philadelphia is abandoning the term "sanctuary city" for "welcoming city": "Philadelphia says it's a 'welcoming'--not 'sanctuary'--city as the Trump administration threatens funding cuts."
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Following Up: Today, Sunday, June 1, mayoral candidate Joe Ferris responded to Hudson's being included in the DHS's list of "sanctuary jurisdictions defying federal immigration law" and to Mayor Kamal Johnson's comments as reported by the Register-Star with the following statement:
This is not the time for semantics. This is a time for leadership. I am proud to live in a sanctuary city. They are coming after us because of what we believe in. They are coming after us because we are committed to standing up for our neighbors.
There is no “case-by-case basis” when families are being snatched off the streets, green card holders are being detained without access to lawyers, and American citizens are being left to rot in El Salvador’s hellish prison system.
Now more than ever, City Hall should be leading the way in protecting our neighbors from these unconstitutional and immoral attacks on their safety and humanity.
UPDATE: Today, June 2, CNN reported that the Department of Homeland Security has removed the list of "sanctuary jurisdictions" from its website: "List of 'sanctuary jurisdictions' removed from DHS website after law enforcement outcry, questions about accuracy."
🤣 This is like saying Elton John is not homosexual, he is gay.
ReplyDeleteKamal - if you want to play the virtue game… why not go all the way and tweet at Tom Homan (Head of ICE) that as Mayor of Hudson (pop ~5000, budget ~$20m) you want residents and City employees to violate federal laws… but still keep federal funding. That is what hardcore progressive Democratic mayors do... it may help your faltering dreams of a NYS Assembly run one day.
You can't have it both ways.
🎯 Right now you are just putting a bulls eye on federal funding in Hudson (like the 6 figure HOME Grants), and in no way making local undocumented foreign born residents any safer than they already were. You are also putting HPD and the Sheriff's office in a tricky situation wrt federal laws.
🙄 This is so classically you: empty virtue signaling in the press, no material change for Hudson residents (Mayor Tiff's policies a decade ago already helped immigrants in a legal way), needlessly interjecting our small city into national discourse and culture wars, and then misspeaking (you meant resident, not "citizen" in your statement to Tiffany).
Let's move beyond rhetoric:
What percentage of City of Hudson _employees_ are immigrants?
I checked and it is extremely far below the US national or 12534 local resident percentage, not even counting undocumented, and none in leadership positions. And the few junior foreign born workers of City Hall are not a fans of yours, and think you do not have any "hustle". They actually work to send money back home and bring more family to American shores.
🛂 Why don't you hire more qualified immigrants before grandstanding? If you ran open job searches (instead of secret searches, as you do) for key roles maybe we'd have more highly qualified immigrants?
🌎 🧲 Both rich and poor 3rd world born Hudsonians who lived as adults in their birth countries look at you and think the same thing:
"This is the kind of politician who messed up our countries and made us leave"
When the Mayor says Hudson is a “Welcoming city” I just assume he’s referring his administration’s de facto policy of “Welcome Stranger” tax assessments.
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