Sanctuary Cities: The Politics of Refuge [Canceled]

Please note: This event is canceled to help limit the potential exposure of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). For updated information on SF State’s response to COVID-19, visit the novel coronavirus information page.

Two of the nation’s leading scholars on sanctuary cities and related issues, Loren Collingwood and Benjamin Gonzalez O’Brien, lead a discussion. Refreshments will be served. Free.

The accidental shooting of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco in 2015 by an undocumented immigrant ignited a firestorm of controversy around sanctuary cities, which are municipalities where officials are prohibited from inquiring into the immigration status of residents.

In one of the first comprehensive examinations of sanctuary cities, Collingwood’s and Gonzalez O’Brien’s new book, “Sanctuary Cities: The Politics of Refuge” (Oxford University Press), shows that sanctuary policies have no discernible effect on crime rates. Rather, anti-sanctuary state laws may undercut communities’ trust in law enforcement. Sanctuary policies have the potential to better incorporate immigrant populations into the larger city, with both Latino police force representation and Latino voter turnout increasing as a result. Despite this, public opinion on sanctuary cities remains sharply divided and has become intensely partisan.

Loren Collingwood

Loren Collingwood is an associate professor of political science at University of California, Riverside. He is the author of “Campaigning in a Racially Diversifying America: When and How Cross-Racial Electoral Mobilization Works,” and more than 23 articles.

Benjamin Gonzalez O’Brien

Benjamin Gonzalez O’Brien is an assistant professor of political science at San Diego State University. He is the author of “Handcuffs and Chain Link: Criminalizing the Undocumented in America,” and articles on sanctuary policies, intergroup attitudes and elections.