New Michigan City Ordinance Is a Soft 'Sanctuary City' Attempt

As President Donald Trump stands ready to crack down on “sanctuary cities” by denying them federal funding, the city of Ypsilanti, Michigan, may be blazing a trail that could get it classified as such.

The city council recently approved an ordinance preventing law enforcement from asking about someone’s immigration status:

Ypsilanti has passed a “don’t ask” ordinance, ensuring that if a police officer pulls over a driver, they do not have to check the person’s immigration status.

President Donald Trump wants police to check for immigration status, but Ypsilanti officials said they won’t agree to that rule.

Immigrants in Ypsilanti said they have fears that under Trump’s executive order on immigration, they could have been deported.

Just recently, an undocumented man from Ypsilanti was pulled over and received a speeding ticket. The family said they were worried about showing up to court to pay the fine.

But city officials said they want to make sure law-abiding undocumented people don’t fear deportation.

Folks — if they’re “undocumented,” then they’re not law-abiding.

City officials wish to ignore the one crime, but the whole argument falls apart on that alone. Officials claim that the ordinance only bars law enforcement from asking about someone’s immigration status when it’s “not relevant” — but such arbitrary enforcement of the law is not how laws work, thank goodness. Ypsilanti simply does not wish to enforce federal immigration law.

Ypsilanti officials do seem to understand that this end-around still makes them a “sanctuary city,” even if they don’t take on the label officially. Of course, they also think President Trump is bluffing:

Trump considers cities like Ypsilanti sanctuary cities and threatens to strip federal funds, but Edmonds believes that’s just talk.

“There are a lot of broad threats,” Edmonds said. “The devil’s in the details, right? And a lot of this is going to be decided in the court.”

Ironically, the American Left thinks the rule of law in America is all threats and bluffs, nothing to fear — yet still thinks Trump is literally another Hitler.

Perhaps Ypsilanti believes that, without the official “sanctuary city” label, Trump won’t bother, as perhaps there are bigger fish to fry. Here’s hoping that such lawlessness doesn’t work.