Eagle declares itself a nonsanctuary city, bars services for immigrants. What that means

The Eagle City Council quietly has adopted a resolution declaring the Boise suburb a nonsanctuary city and banning the use of taxpayer funds for services to immigrants who lack permanent legal status.

The resolution was a part of the council’s consent agenda and was approved July 9 without discussion from the council, Mayor Brad Pike or the public.

According to the resolution, Eagle residents had expressed concern over the supposed transport of immigrants into Idaho and Ada County which “compromise the safety, well-being and resources of the city residents.”

Dana Biberston, spokesperson for the city of Eagle, told the Idaho Statesman by phone that the declaration was mostly a fiscal policy and that it was the city’s right to make it.

“The citizens of the city of Eagle have expressed a desire for the city to not use any taxpayer resources to fund any services relating to undocumented immigrants,” according to the resolution.

She said she did not know who sponsored the resolution. Mayor Brad Pike did not return a call or text message requesting comment.

The resolution prohibits the city from using public funds to open shelters or provide services – other than legally required emergency services – for people without permanent legal status.

Biberston wasn’t aware of any current city programs that used taxpayer dollars for such services or programs. She said the city was looking to the future.

“We have not been, and we will not become, a sanctuary city,” Biberston said.

There is no legal definition of a sanctuary city, but cities that designate themselves thus generally limit cooperation with federal officials in the enforcement of immigration laws or policies, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

This most often means that jurisdictions won’t report immigration status to federal officials, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a nonpartisan association made up of legislators and legislative staff from across the country.

Eagle’s resolution says certain municipalities that have declared themselves sanctuary cities have seen negative impacts and significant increases to their budgets and costs to the public. Biberston didn’t have specifics on such cities. She said the declaration was focused specifically on undocumented immigrants, not undocumented workers.

Workers ineligible for Social Security, Medicaid

In Idaho, 86% of people without permanent legal status have jobs, compared with 74% nationally, according to a study by the University of Idaho’s McClure Center.

Unless they are paid under the table, workers who entered the country illegally have a positive net fiscal impact as they often pay federal and state taxes, such as income or sales tax, and are not eligible for most public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, according to the study.

In 2014, the most recent year for which data was available, workers without permanent status paid over $26 million in taxes, including $15.5 million in sales tax, $8.4 million in property tax and $2.4 million in state income tax, according to the McClure Center.

These workers often work with false Social Security numbers, so they pay Social Security taxes but cannot draw Social Security payments. They are not eligible for most other public-assistance programs, including housing, food assistance programs and Medicaid.

The study also found that the number of Idahoans lacking permanent legal status in 2021 was about 35,000 – nearly the same as in 2005.

“More than half of unauthorized immigrants in Idaho remain for at least 16 years,” according to the report. “This is the longest length of stay in the nation.”

According to a study published in Urban Affairs Review in 2017 – an academic journal focused on urban policy and economic development – there are no statistically discernible differences in violent crime, rape or property crime rates across cities that adopt the sanctuary city status.

“Our findings provide evidence that sanctuary policies have no effect on crime rates, despite narratives to the contrary,” according to the study.