Tucson Sanctuary City Initiative Clears Signature Challenge, Will Go to Voters

Published: Friday, August 16, 2019 - 5:46pm
Updated: Monday, August 19, 2019 - 1:47pm

Local Republican organizers sought to keep the initiative from reaching the ballot in November. They sued in Pima County, and Friday afternoon, a judge threw out their argument.

Judge Douglas Metcalf said in the ruling that the local GOP effort arguing there weren't enough valid signatures to make the initiative go to the ballot was wrong.

"Assuming for the moment that plaintiffs' number is correct, subtracting those 7,707 invalid signatures from the 17,402 eligible for further review leaves 9,695 valid signatures," he wrote. The initiative only needed 9,241.

The term sanctuary city is loosely defined.

Some legal groups argue the status applies to local law enforcement’s ability to help federal authorities enforce immigration law. The chief of the Tucson Police Department is opposed to it.

In Tucson, the initiative would prohibit officers from detaining people based off their immigration status or from assisting federal agents.

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