This story first appeared in Business Insider:
Donald Trump’s campaign for president drew early mockery for being nothing more than“entertainment.”
Almost five months later, there’s little doubt that Trump has become one of the figures most responsible for shaping policy on his signature issue: immigration.
Republicans from the state to federal level have worked to enact tighter immigration laws, as the issue has gained prominence on the campaign trail.
“For the the longest time we saw a lot of anti-immigrant measures happen at the federal level, or complete inaction at the federal level, and then we saw the states going in the opposite direction, and seeking policies that recognized the value of immigrants to the economy, to the community,” Melissa Keaney, an attorney at the pro-immigration reform National Immigration Law Center told Business Insider.
“Now things have turned on their head. … It’s a disturbing trend.”
Since launching his presidential run earlier this year, Trump has been one of the most prominent Republicans calling for the end of so-called “sanctuary cities.”
That name has been colloquially bestowed upon localities that do not comply with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement orders to detain immigrants living in the US illegally beyond their release date, if they’re picked up for a low-level crime.
“This senseless and totally preventable act of violence committed by an illegal immigrant is yet another example of why we must secure our border immediately,” Trump said earlier this year, referencing the death of a woman, 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle, killed by an immigrant living in the US without permission.
“This is an absolutely disgraceful situation, and I am the only one that can fix it,” he added. “Nobody else has the guts to even talk about it. That won’t happen if I become president.”
You can read the rest of the story here.
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