Policy writing essay exam

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FINAL EXAM Policy Formulation and Implementation - PA 6302 A1

Summer 2017

INSTRUCTIONS

The controversy over “Sanctuary Cities” has been a point in the changing immigration landscape

that has stirred much debate and emotion. Please be prepared to discuss the pertinent issues

surrounding the sanctuary cities issue, the current legal requirements that law enforcement

officers must currently abide and any pending or potential legislation on this matter.

After understanding the background, please discuss the practical ramifications to the US

immigration policy, its impact (fiscal and otherwise) and discuss the impact and responsibilities

of federal, state and local governments in this issue.

Also, policy evaluation is important aspect of our discussion, so please discuss in some depth a

process by which consensus—either for or against—may be reached on this issue. How do we

know it will work? And what should we prepared to do if it does not?

Due Date and time: please email your responses to me in MS Word or PDF format at

[email protected] by our class time, 6:30PM, on Wednesday, June 28.

EXAM FORMAT

I would like your response in an essay format. Please keep your responses concise and to the

point, but also thorough. Please maintain the following headings or sections to your response:

1. Issue History and Relevant Facts: in this section, please outline the relevant facts and

brief history as it relates to this issue. Be sure to highlight the point of controversy, or

debate regarding this issue. Please do not provide political commentary but rather

thoughtful analysis of this issue.

2. Potential Areas for Consensus or Resolution: I am interested to know that you have

thought around this issue and have given reasonable analysis to possible issues where

consensus may be gained. This is much the same manner which we discussed in class and

I expect to see your insight and thought process on display.

3. Policy Evaluation: Once action is taken on this issue that you have suggested above,

please discuss a process or mechanism by which to evaluate if this was successful. How

do we know it will work? And what should we prepared to do if it does not?

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Beyond the format indicated above, I am flexible so long as I can follow your thought process. I

have no recommendations on page limits other than to reiterate that you be concise and

thorough.

Below is an article that provides some background on this issue:

Dallas Joins Lawsuit Over Sanctuary Cities Bill BY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE | JUNE 8, 2017

By Elvia Limón and Robert Wilonsky

Dallas is joining some other Texas cities, including Austin and San Antonio, in taking on the state's

so-called "sanctuary city" law.

Mayor Mike Rawlings made the announcement Wednesday afternoon, calling SB4

"unconstitutional" and a law that "greatly infringes on the city's ability to protect" the public.

According to Rawlings, the city attorney has "serious constitutional concerns" with the new

measure, which goes into effect Sept. 1.

Rawlings said after Wednesday's council meeting that he had already spoken with Austin Mayor

Steve Adler and San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor about potential litigation.

"I told them both this was a serious issue," Rawlings said.

A San Antonio federal district court announced Wednesday it would consolidate the lawsuits filed

by all of the cities against the bill and designate the city of El Cenizo as the lead plaintiff. A hearing

in that case is set for June 26.

Critics call SB4 the "show-me-your-papers law," because it allows law enforcement to question

the immigration status of anyone who has been lawfully arrested and detained. In addition, it could

punish cities, counties and universities who do not enforce the law.

And police chiefs, county sheriffs and constables who do not enforce the law could face criminal

charges, and local jurisdictions could be fined up to $25,000 per violation per day.

Gov. Greg Abbott and other supporters of SB4 say it would protect Texans from crimes committed

by those who are in the country illegally.

Dallas makes its decision

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The Dallas city code allows the city attorney to initiate litigation without the council's approval.

Rawlings made his announcement moments after the City Council met with City Attorney Larry

Casto behind closed doors.

Rawlings said he wanted to make sure the council was aligned before Dallas joined the fray. He

said Wednesday that a majority of the council agreed with Casto's recommendation to take on the

state.

"We are not a sanctuary city," he said. "We live by the national laws, and now the question is who's

boss in all this. And this is an unfunded mandate. They're telling us how our police officers should

spend their time and not giving us any money to do that."

Council member Philip Kingston said last month, during an SB4 protest in Austin, that Dallas

would eventually join the fight against the legislation.

The official decision by Dallas to do just that followed a demonstration by about 60 protesters at

City Hall Wednesday morning aimed at pressuring city leaders into challenging the controversial

bill, which was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott last month.

Members of the Workers Defense Project, Texas Organizing Project and other local activists were

among the protesters. Rawlings attended the rally and told the group the City Council would

discuss the issue later during executive session.

Rawlings said then that he is concerned about how the law would affect his and other council

members' roles in the community.

"My job, the job of the pro tem and the job of the council is to keep all citizens safe," the mayor

said. "We want to have a safe environment so they can get married and do the things they have to

do."

Rawlings said the law asks too much of police by making them enforce federal immigration laws

in addition to focusing on "safety first."

"Time and time again, police chiefs and police associations across the state have said that SB4 is

not a safe bill," he said.

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'Stop this hateful law'

Carla Hernandez said she decided to join the protesters because she did not feel safe. Hernandez,

37, said she was afraid she would be separated from her children.

"I've had panic attacks when I've had to pick up my children," Hernandez said. "We want the

mayor to give us support to join the lawsuit. I have confidence that there's more support than hate."

During the council meeting following the protest, several opponents of the law spoke to the council

and pleaded with them not to support the law.

Manuela Castro said she knew of people who have already been detained and deported and said

the measure would eventually hurt Dallas businesses that depend on immigrant labor.

"The law hasn't gone into effect and there are already people who have been detained and police

officers who are asking for their papers," she said. "Please help us stop this hateful law."

Solia Chaver of Lancaster told the city council she worries about how the sanctuary cities law will

affect immigrants protected under temporary visas and permits, such as the Defered Action for

Childhood Arrivals for unauthorized immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and Temporary

Protected Status for immigrants who are unable to return safely to their country of origin.

"We have a lot of students who are currently protected by DACA, and people like me, who are

protected under TPS," she said. "If the law goes into effect, they will only give us three months to

renew our paperwork. So what's going to happen to us? Are we also going to be deported?"

Law enforcement weighs in

Two members of the law enforcement community -- Executive Chief Deputy Jesse Flores and

Chief Deputy Jesse Herrera from the Dallas County Sheriff's Department --also addressed the

Dallas council about SB4.

Flores said that even though the sheriff's department has always cooperated with the U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency when handling criminals who are unauthorized

immigrants, he believed the law could lead to fewer reported crimes by community members who

will be afraid to interact with law enforcement.

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"If members of the community are afraid to come forward and report crimes due to fear of

deportation, then those crimes will not be reported or investigated," Flores said. "Senate Bill 4 will

also affect vulnerable people at risk, because women and children are least likely to come forward

if they are undocumented. We believe our community is safer when they report crimes without

fear of deportation."

In addition to those concerns, there was evidence the bill is already beginning to impact business

in the state.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association, a 15,000-member association of attorneys and

law professors announced Wednesday that it would relocate its 2018 convention out of Grapevine

in response to the passing of SB4. About 3,000 people were expected to attend the three-day event.

Staff Writer Tristan Hallman contributed to this report.

(c)2017 The Dallas Morning News