1. Illegal Immigration and Sanctuary Cities
T. Stull
World History
August 31 and September 1
Current Event Presentation

2. Background Information
Marilyn Pharis
Age – 64
Resident of Santa Barbara, California
Air Force Veteran
Worked at Vandenberg Air Force Base
Brutally beaten and sexually assaulted
Died on August 1st from sustained wounds.

3. Background Information

4. Background Information
Victor Martinez Ramirez (29 years old)
Well known to both law enforcement and immigration officials for a long list of criminal charges.
He is in the country illegally.
Arrested 15 times in the past six months.
Most recent arrest was for the possession of “meth.”
Jose Fernando Villagomez (20 years old)
In California, local police departments do no have the authority to hold suspects based on their immigration status.

5. Background Information
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) asked Santa Barbara custody officials to put a detention hold on Ramirez last year after he was charged with felony assault with intent to commit sexual assault.
But after reviewing the evidence, prosecutors decided to charge him with a misdemeanor. Santa Barbara custody officials concluded that keeping Ramirez would violate the state's Trust Act, which allows local law enforcement to hold inmates for immigration authorities only if they have been charged with a serious crime.
**Source – Panzar, J. (2015) L.A. Times.,

6. Many drew comparisons to the fatal shooting of Kathryn Steinle, 32, in San Francisco. Police say Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez fatally shot Steinle on Pier 14 while she was walking with her father. The Mexican national had previously been deported five times and had seven felony convictions.
Lopez-Sanchez admitted in an interview to accidentally firing a gun he said he found wrapped in a T-shirt. He has pleaded not guilty.
Related Information

7. Illegal Immigration and Sanctuary Cities
“Places in which authorities are not required to report undocumented immigrants to the federal authorities.” (CNN, pg.3)
According to reports, these cities report less violent crimes.
“Best way to ensure that people from these communities assist police is to promise that they would no longer fear being routinely deported in the process.” (CNN, pg. 3)
It is too expensive to hold these unlawful immigrants in addition to limited amounts of space.

8. How Does This Relate to Our Class?
One of the major points of study within this course is the development of British colonies and the hundreds of thousands of people who immigrated to the new colonies. After the American Revolution (pg. 321), the United States of American became an independent country founded by immigrants.
Since that time, the United States has become home to many immigrants from all over the world. Due to the huge amount of diversity, the U.S. has become known as “The Melting Pot.”

9. Discussion Questions
Do you agree or disagree with the existence of “sanctuary cities” within the United States?
Now, knowing some information, what would be your path of action if Birmingham became a “sanctuary city” in the next several years?
As a citizen of the U.S., will the topic of illegal immigration be an important election issue for you as we enter the next election? Why or Why not?
How would you address the issue of illegal immigration if given the opportunity to speak to lawmakers?

10. Sources
Panzar, Javiar. "Man in U.S. Illegally Pleads Not Guilty to Killing Santa Barbara Woman." Los Angeles Times. 13 Aug Web. 15 Aug
Kayyem, J. (2015, August 11). California killing not about "sanctuary cities" Retrieved August 11, 2015.