Alison King (from NECN) asks about sanctuary cities, and allowing locals to ignore federal law. She starts with Richardson.
Richardson: “You asked me that because I’m the Hispanic, but I’ll answer your question.” [laughter] Now he more or less explains his support of the Kennedy/McCain approach — path to legalization. What you don’t do is deport everybody — that’s not America, and that’s not going to work. Cities are being victimized by failure of national policy.
Biden: cities ignore federal law because there isn’t federal funding to enforce the law. [hmm – I’m not sure that’s exactly true. Seems to me the sanctuary cities disagree with the law, and wouldn’t be too psyched about stricter enforcement, no? -ed.] And now he lays into Giuliani — “he’s the most uninformed person in foreign policy that’s running for president.” Would you allow the cities to ignore federal law? No.
Dodd: he *would* allow sanctuary cities to ignore federal law. I endorse everything Richardson said.
Russert is back on, and he asks the field if anyone would close down the sanctuary cities. (I think Biden just said he would.) Kucinich said he’d allow it. (Surprise!) Obama dodges the question on sanctuary cities — says he’d pass comprehensive immigration reform. Clinton is talking about failure of federal government here. Pressed, she says “they don’t have any choice,” and talks about ICE raids. The problem is the federal gov’t has abdicated its responsibility. (So I think that was a yes, she’d reluctantly allow sanctuary cities.)