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Alderman makes push for St. Louis as a Sanctuary City

A St. Louis Alderman is calling on the city to fight back against President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

ST LOUIS, MO - JANUARY 15: A cart carries off a group of people portraying slaves during the staging of a re-enactment of a mid-19th century slave auction January 15, 2011 in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Some 150 re-enactors participated in the mock-auction on the steps of the city's Old Courthouse, as the first commemorative event in Missouri marking the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. With other sesquicentennial events in the South emphasizing "states rights" as the cause of the conflict, organizers in St. Louis said they held the educational event because wanted to stress slavery as the central issue of the war. Before the war, St. Louis, with its location on the Mississippi River, had been a primary hub for the sale and movement of slaves. The U.S. Civil War, which lasted from 1861-1865, resulted in the death of more than 600,000 Americans, more than in all of the country's other wars combined. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

A St. Louis Alderman is calling on the city to fight back against President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

Trump said the travel ban is necessary to reform vetting procedures, but critics — including St. Louis Alderman Antonio French — say keeping immigrants out is simply un-American.

Roughly 300 U-S cities and counties have chosen not to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Cities that harbor undocumented immigrants are known as sanctuary cities. St. Louis Alderman Antonio French, of the 21st ward, wants St. Louis to be among them.

"It's in our DNA to welcome immigrants," French said. "And so we, along with many other cities, will be fighting back against those bullying tactics, because we take care of our folks, and we have people in this city that deserve to be protected."

At City Hall today, French introduced a resolution to explore the idea. The resolution wouldn't make St. Louis into a sanctuary city overnight. If it passes, the city counselor would explore the legal options and ramifications of sanctuary city status.

Some aldermen are supportive of the concept, but worry about the implications. In addition to the threat to federal funds, a state law also threatens to withhold funding from cities that don't cooperate with immigration authorities.

"Unlike other cities that have a more robust financial situation, St. Louis city, as you know, we're really struggling," said 20th Ward Alderwoman Cara Spencer.  "And putting any funding at risk right now could be a problem."

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