Under the Constitution and anti-discrimination laws, local governments can protect immigrants. This was reaffirmed a report entitled "Sanctuaries, Safety and Community: Tools for welcoming immigrants through local democracy", which detailed the mechanisms available for cities to provide protection to undocumented immigrants.
The report, which was published a week before Donald Trump take oath as US President, was conducted by the non-profit public policy Demos and LatinoJustice PRLDEF, an institution of educational funds and civil defense.
"During these times of crisis, immigrants throughout the country face real threats of racial discrimination and deportation, if they do not have the support of local jurisdictions," said Katherine Culliton-González, a lawyer at Demos, and one of the Authors of the report.
According to Culliton-González, this report seeks to serve as a guide to legal actions that local municipalities "can and should take to establish sanctuary communities that protect undocumented immigrants and their families from unconstitutional abuses of power." [...]
