‘Sanctuary city’ explained as Trump deportation plans loom

As deportation concerns rise following President elect Donald Trump’s renewed promises to crack down on undocumented immigrants, News Channel 3 is breaking down what this means for sanctuary cities.

A sanctuary city is a municipality that limits its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, often prioritizing local public safety over immigration status.

Palm Springs, Coachella and Cathedral City are sanctuary cities.

For Coachella, Mayor Steven Hernandez, said this means offering support to immigrant residents.

"I actually have been having a number of different conversations with our local father as well as nonprofits so that we can build a coalition of folks that are willing to offer legal advice, protection and even offer a sanctuary in the case families might be getting torn apart," Hernandez said.

While some say sanctuary policies undermine federal law, Hernandez said he believes in comprehensive immigration reform.

"We as a capitalist economy, we need the workforce," Hernandez said. "If you look at what's going on in the hospitality industry, construction industry and in some of the small businesses, immigrants play a huge role in our community."

In a statement to News Channel 3 Cathedral City said:

At the May 24, 2017, regular meeting, the City Council voted in favor of recognizing current City immigration policies and officially declaring Cathedral City as a place where all families can live without the fear of local law enforcement seeking their immigration or citizenship status. We have been adhering to this ordinance since 2017 and will continue to do so.

As the ordinance states, this Sanctuary City status attempts to send a message of inclusivity to our residents, recognize the role of local government, and continue the practices that were in place for many years to keep our community safe.

Stay with News Channel 3 to learn more about what sanctuary city status means for you.