City Officials: Winston-Salem Is Not A 'Sanctuary City'

Winston-Salem officials told a local delegation of the General Assembly Friday that the city is not a so-called “sanctuary city.”

Such cities have passed local ordinances that, for example, prohibit local law enforcement from arresting people solely based on their immigration status.

Police Chief Barry Rountree told the delegation that Winston-Salem hasn't taken that step.

He says the city apparently made an Internet list of sanctuary cities based on the police department's  discussion with an advocacy group about providing identification cards to some citizens who had trouble getting them, including immigrants. 

That discussion was several years ago and nothing ever came of it. But Rountree says even talking about it was enough for an anti-immigration group to tag Winston-Salem as a sanctuary.

State Sen. Joyce Krawiec says she's heard from people concerned about the city's status.

“I did have some e-mails that Winston-Salem was a sanctuary city, and then the chief sent out a letter that explained that in reality it was not," says Krawiec. I was happy to get that from him and have it explained.”

Krawiec says sanctuary cities have been discussed among legislators, but there's been no formal debate.

Sanctuary cities have been controversial for years. They became even more so this year after an illegal immigrant was charged with murdering a woman in San Francisco. The California city prohibits local officials from questioning a resident's legal status.

Some municipalities have supported becoming sanctuary cities by arguing that immigration enforcement should be done at the federal instead of the local level.

Winston-Salem City Council called a special meeting to discuss with lawmakers their concerns about the potential impact that some legislative proposals could have on the city. The sanctuary city discussion came at the end of the meeting.