The West Lafayette City Council is considering a resolution that would declare West Lafayette a safe haven for immigrants. The resolution seeks to discourage city employees from assisting authorities in investigating a person’s immigration status, unless required by a court order. The resolution stops short of designating Lafayette a so-called “sanctuary city,” a term that has become popular when referring to cities that refuse to assist federal entities with deportation of undocumented people. Several courts have found that no federal law requires local agencies to assist in deporting immigrants. However, West Lafayette Police Chief Jason Dombkowski says in Indiana, state law requires local officials to comply with the feds when it comes to matters of immigration. “There’s a reason why you don’t see sanctuary cities in Indiana,” he says. Dombkowski says he understands why people would want such a resolution passed in West Lafayette, which has a sizable population of international
↧