sanctuary city

American  

[sangk-choo-er-ee sit-ee] / ˈsæŋk tʃuˌɛr i ˌsɪt i /

noun

1. a city in which the local government and police protect undocumented immigrants and refugees from deportation by federal authorities.

   sanctuary cities where law enforcement cannot question crime suspects about their immigration status.

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Etymology

Origin of sanctuary city

First recorded in 1865–70 in the sense “place of immunity from arrest”; the current sense, in 1980–85; possibly related to “Cities of Refuge” named in the Bible in the books of Joshua, Deuteronomy, and Numbers

Example Sentences

Washington, D.C., has been a sanctuary city since 2020, where law enforcement cooperation with immigration officials was broadly prohibited.

From Salon

On July 7, the city council unanimously declared Huntington Park a sanctuary city.

From Los Angeles Times

At a City Council meeting in Santa Ana, community members called for stronger policies to ensure the city’s status as a “sanctuary city” — the only such city in Orange County that limits cooperation with federal immigration officials, according to LAist.

From Los Angeles Times

If an individual has been convicted of a serious or violent defense, then the New York City sanctuary city laws instruct cooperation with ICE.

From Slate

Santa Ana, long synonymous with undocumented immigrants, which declared itself a sanctuary city all the way back in 2016 and has a deportation defense fund for residents.

From Los Angeles Times