In a past article, I discussed the potential for labor abuse involving illegal aliens in the downtown. The lack of redress of grievances based upon illegal immigration status leads to abuse in many instances. They are a large supplier of day labor for food service facilities and “hitching post” type parking lot labor availability sites, the most famous of these sites being the Acme parking lot in Manasquan New Jersey. 

Recently some of the cities around the country have declared themselves sanctuary cities — the first being established in Los Angles California — a special order preventing police from inquiring about the immigration status when they arrest someone, and forbids reporting violations of United States Immigration Code title 8, section 1325 dealing with illegal entry. Some now do it with ordinances, saying that immigration is not an issue in arrests and processing services.

There appears to be opposition concerning the sanctuary cities, and there have been discussions concerning what to do, as now the practice has spread to the colleges. People not willing to help in the deportation of anyone. People not wanting to be part of the process of dealing with issues relating to immigration. Certainly it would be considered a moral position to enforce:

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Talk of cutting off aid to cities that have declared themselves sanctuary cities would certainly hurt the combined population of a city or a college. Imagine if it was determined that sanctuary colleges could no longer be part of the federally insured student loan program, opening up thousands of spots in elite colleges to less qualified students blessed by parents who have a lot of money.

The cities would be the hardest hit by a reduction in funding, but the impact of someone not being able to attain their dreams would be the biggest loss, although I am sure the slots would be filled with others seeking to bask in the opportunity. The loss of federal research contracts would be devastating to the college’s endowment.

Although I have not heard of one, a sanctuary hospital would lose most of the Medicare and Medicaid. Research Hospitals would be forced to close. It would lead to a world of “haves” and “have nots,” relating to the very essence of existence…life itself.

Cities in turn would lose hundreds of millions of dollars in community development block grant (CDBG) funding. Home Investment partnership (HOME) dollars would create issues in affordable housing and many of the services that are subsidized in the city would end.

The true impact is almost unimaginable when you calculate the exposure to the city if suddenly things like the 108 CDBG loan guarantees go away or have to be insured by alternate parties.  The inner workings of cities like New York and San Francisco would probably have to do some deep soul searching if presented with the loss of those kinds of dollars that are blended in ways that are original to each application.

It may appear grim but life in the city can grow through the use of lax zoning laws and slumlords that will rent people a room that could sleep 10. There are also the businesses that can grow by limiting their costs through a labor force that will work for less. 

Cities are easier to get lost in and present an opportunity for people to fit in with the native population. An effort to assimilate could be made, but in many cases it is someone providing for the family back home by wiring money each week. Cities offer a lot of advantages to the immigrant and his or her ability to navigate through life.

I am concerned that many of cities will lose valuable incentives and subsidies through this process. The people that will endure the most hardship will be the ones that can least afford to have benefits and subsidies cut. That will be the day that people have to decide, is it us or them?

As a former union organizer, I have seen it happen time and time again — People being separated by race and gender as a way to offset the collective interests. This seems to be a similar case but instead, all that it appears to be is, not wanting to turn illegals over to the federal authorities when they are caught committing a crime, or as they apply for benefits to feed and clothe their families. 

There is no easy answer to the question of should there or should there not be sanctuary cities because cities…. and now universities… have not been challenged on their declarations. What will happen will be very interesting. I am sure there will be name calling, racist, sexist and the like. I am sure there will be massive demonstrations in the street supporting the illegals in their attempt to forge a new life. 

Being the grandson of an illegal Italian immigrant who had trouble with the law, I have sympathy for the plight of the illegal immigrant. I also realize that in the cities, the economy, to a certain extent, relies on the ability to cheat the illegal immigrant on matters of wage, hours and conditions of employment because they have no redress in those matters. 

I would not like to see it come to this, but it appears that a showdown is on the horizon. Anyone who has played “chicken” in some way or another (I always liked the James Dean version of “chicken” in Rebel Without a Cause) knows there is a winner and a loser. If the showdown happens we will all be losers in some sense.