ICE Sets its Sights on America's Most Iconic Sanctuary City

The Takeaway | Jul 10, 2017

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If any city is a sanctuary for immigrants, it's New York. And that's not just some rhetoric: The city has devoted millions over the years, and particularly in this year's budget, to provide services for its undocumented population.

But even in New York, city officials say there's only so much any given city can do when state and federal forces are involved. And as the Trump administration expands the scope and reach of ICE, the city's ability — or willingness, some say — to protect its most vulnerable populations is being tested.

Reports of ICE raids in public spaces, from houses to courtrooms, continue daily and expose just how much cities can actually control when it comes to immigration enforcement.

And perhaps that contrast between rhetoric and practice is most stark in the city with the country's largest undocumented population in America at over 500,000: New York, where the question of who gets protected, and who doesn't, is being tested daily. 

Related: What Happens When ICE Shows Up In Human Trafficking Court

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