Immigration in the United States has caused the American people to divide. With people believing that immigrants should either be allowed in the country because they are valuable to the communities they reside in or that they should be deported because they entered the country illegally, states and local governments that choose to be sanctuary cities offer protection to valuable citizens within their districts. 

A community full of people that all feel comfortable to follow policies, report crimes, enroll their children in school, and get vaccinated. As a whole, sanctuary cities are less about protecting illegal immigrants and more about protecting the entire community. A recent study showed that sanctuary cities are actually safer. Crime rates are lower and local economies are better in areas that refuse to use their resources to implement federal immigration policies. 

Counties that chose not to comply with federal ICE requests, experience 35.5 fewer crimes per 10,000 people  and also have higher average household incomes, lower rates of unemployment and poverty, and children are less likely to be receiving government benefits. 

The effect of sanctuary cities is most beneficial to the specific areas that chose to offer illegal immigrants the opportunity to remain as crucial members of the community, they operate under the assumption that the community is better served by protecting its members than shipping them off to ICE. 

In addition to benefiting the community as a whole, illegal immigrants are highly positively impacted by sanctuary cities. It allows immigrants that are productive members of society to remain in their city, feed and educate their children, and pursue lawful citizenship without the fear of being penalized or deported.

Sanctuary cities are an overarching beneficial policy that encourages community engagement and builds trust between immigrants and law enforcement and protects communities. Sanctuary cities are great immigration policy and should be allowed to remain.