sanctuary city

[ sangk-choo-er-ee sit-ee ]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sanctuary city¹

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

A proposal by three council members would declare L.A. a ‘sanctuary city’ and bar city personnel or resources from being used in federal immigration enforcement.

From Los Angeles Times

Dozens of immigration advocates and labor leaders gathered outside the City Council chambers before Tuesday’s vote, calling on the council to pass the sanctuary city law, which is modeled after a 1989 San Francisco law.

From Los Angeles Times

Tuesday’s vote marks another chapter in City Hall’s uneven efforts to declare itself a sanctuary city.

From Los Angeles Times

Facing President-elect Donald Trump’s promised mass deportation of immigrants in the country illegally, the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday tentatively backed a “sanctuary city” law that forbids city employees and resources from being involved in federal immigration enforcement.

From Los Angeles Times

The L.A. sanctuary city law, which was proposed in early 2023 — long before Trump’s election — aims to build a firewall between federal immigration enforcement and city agencies.

From Los Angeles Times