As might be expected, similar programs have been approved in such liberal outposts as San Francisco, Austin, Newark and Providence, Rhode Island.
Even smaller cities are joining the effort as well. Ithaca, New York, home to ultra-liberal Cornell University, has plans to spend emergency funds to help illegals taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
In just the past week, officials in Michigan’s Washtenaw County approved a measure to pay legal bills for illegals facing deportation, using taxpayer funds. Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan, is the county seat, which explains a lot.
Creation of these programs has generated a backlash from groups that believe such use of tax money is foolish at a time of financial stress on cities and a direct insult to those taxpayers who do not approve.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which supports stricter controls on immigration, has been especially vocal.
It is simply bad public policy to be spending public funds at a time when everyone is strapped for cash and cannot fund the money for vital services. Even if they are relatively small funders, they are directing much-needed resources from school and roads to meet the political desires of lawmakers.”
In addition to cities creating these controversial legal programs, now state governments in New York and California are moving to establish legal defense funds for illegals. New York’s program is approved and California legislators are considering a bill to create a fund that could cost up to $12 million annually.
Just last December, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti set up a two-year “Justice” fund pegged at $10 million. The cost is to be split 50-50 between private foundations and tax dollars from residents of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County.
In April, the city of Seattle passed a measure to provide $1 million in the form of grants to community organizations that assist those facing deportation or wanting to become naturalized.
Dale Wilcox, executive director and general counsel of the Immigration Law Reform Institute (ILRI), has called the use of public funds to pay the legal fees of illegal immigrants “insulting” to taxpayers and legal residents.
It also provides yet another incentive for more illegal aliens to come and will further clog up our immigration courts, some of the most backed up in the nation.”
ILRI recently filed a friend-of-the-court brief in a case that involves the issue of whether illegals facing expedited deportation should be guaranteed the right to legal representation.
The movement to create these legal funds for illegal immigrants just takes the “sanctuary city” concept a step further into higher disregard for our immigration laws and further encouragement of the arrogant misappropriation of tax money to satisfy fringe political whims.
Source: Fox News
any city who does that, should lose all Federal Money and let them suffer
Cut off all money’s quite foolin around !!!!
With our money
Only in America can idiot politician see a need to pay for their defense – they are criminals and only American have right under the Constitution except when the idiots in the Supreme Court subverse the clear text meaning!
No cure for stupidity
Troy*** These Liberals are determined to break the US, and turn us into beggars, our taxes are meant to help the US and it’s citizens, not defend lawbreakers, that are non citizens!
They are all too willing to have the taxpayers pay for it!!! BS
and then when the money is all gone they will cry that they are tapped out why because they gave it all to the lawyers
Pure bull$#%&!@*, not leaders traitors to thr country!
Let me get this right. Citizens have to fork out their own hard earned money to pay legal fees but a non-citizens get their legal fees paid for with our tax dollars. I’m sorry but this does not make sence. If a non-citizens can’t afford their own legal fees maybe they are not a productive member of society and should be sent back home to their own country.