Donald Trump lanza su ofensiva contra las ciudades santuario

El primer ataque lanzado por Donald Trump en su lucha contra las ciudades santuario fue una carta enviada en 249 ocasiones que pasó algo desapercibida. El 23 de diciembre, en pleno apogeo de las celebraciones navideñas, la organización trumpista America First Legal emitió un comunicado que detallaba explícitamente las graves consecuencias legales y económicas que podrían recaer sobre las jurisdicciones que no colaboren con el gobierno federal en cuestiones migratorias. Tras meses de campaña en los que el candidato, ahora presidente electo, y muchos de sus allegados, especialmente el halcón antiinmigración Stephen Miller, resaltaron la atención sobre estas ciudades, la amenaza se percibe como una declaración de guerra.

One might think that since America First Legal is not technically part of the future Trump administration, the letter does not pose a real threat. However, that idea quickly dissipates when one considers that the founder and president of the organization is Miller — one of the main ideologues of Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric, a former senior advisor and future Homeland Security Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy— and that its board of directors also includes several other senior officials from past and future Trump administrations.

The letter begins without preamble. “Federal law is clear: aliens unlawfully present in the United States are subject to removal from the country, and it is a crime to conceal, harbor, or shield them. It is also a crime to prevent federal officials from enforcing immigration law. These laws were duly enacted by the people’s elected representatives. Under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, they are the law of the land and supersede any State or local laws to the contrary.” If the message between the lines wasn’t transparent enough, the next paragraph makes it so: “So-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions that forbid compliance with federal immigration law and cooperation with the officials who enforce it are, therefore, breaking the law.”