Obama-era ‘Welcoming Cities’ program overlaps with illegal border crosser crimes

By Bethany Blankley
The Center Square

A program launched in partnership with the Obama administration more than a decade ago that certifies localities to “improve immigrant inclusion” overlaps with crimes being committed by illegal foreign nationals in those communities, according to crime reports, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and other data evaluated by The Center Square.

“Certified Welcoming is a formal designation for cities and counties that have created policies and programs reflecting their values and commitment to immigrant inclusion,” given by the nonpartisan nonprofit organization, “Certified Welcoming.” It says it partners with 300 nonprofits and local governments working “to build more inclusive and welcoming communities in the United States.”

It launched its “Welcoming America” initiative in 2014 to advance a strategic plan to “better integrate immigrants and refugees into American communities.”

The organization clarifies that the certification is not the same as having sanctuary city status. Instead, it indicates that communities have “committed to adhering to inclusive policies and practices [in its] ‘Welcoming Standard,’” to build trust and relationships with law enforcement and educate “immigrants about their rights and responsibilities under the law.”

So far, 36 cities and counties are Certified Welcoming: Boise, Idaho; Champaign and Oak Park, IL; Indianapolis and Allen County, IN; Emporia, KS; Louisville, KY; New Orleans, LA; Portland, ME; Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Montgomery counties, MD; Detroit, MI; Minneapolis, MN; Crete and Lincoln, NE; Nashua, NH; Charlotte, NC; Dayton, Cuyahoga Falls and Toledo and Cuyahoga and Lucas counties, OH; Tulsa, OK; Erie, Lancaster, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, PA; Austin and Dallas, TX; Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County, UT; Roanoke, VA; and Seattle, WA.

Many have implemented sanctuary city policies identified by the Department of Justice, which is taking legal action against them. This is after ICE during the Biden administration arrested nearly 528,000 violent offenders, including in sanctuary jurisdictions.

Certified Welcoming is tied to multiple open border organizations that promote “diversity, equity and inclusion” and “climate migration,” funded by billionaire George Soros and others. Their partner initiative, Gateways for Growth, provides a “competitive opportunity for localities to receive research support and technical assistance” from the American Immigration Council and Welcoming America to advance “immigrant inclusion.”

The council claims to “fight against” state “anti-immigrant policies,” provide free legal services for asylum seekers, fund grants for cities and localities to “improve immigrant inclusion,” build local “resilience for resettlement infrastructure,” promote foreign workers obtaining a range of visas among multiple other programs and initiatives.

Since 2016, Gateways for Growth says it provided support to nearly 100 localities in 36 states, with Michigan, California, Ohio, Texas and Virginia receiving the most.

In Certified Welcoming Boise, ICE arrested a Honduran in the country illegally who killed an eight-year-old girl, The Center Square reported. In Gateways supported Des Moines, ICE arrested a Guyanese national and Des Moines Public School superintendent who’d been living and working in the country illegally for years. The district is being investigated for alleged discriminatory hiring practices. The Guyanan worked for public schools in the sanctuary city of and Certified Welcoming Baltimore and Gateways supported Baltimore County, The Center Square reported.

Regional Homeland Security task forces and federal partners are targeting transnational crime in Certified Welcoming and Gateway localities. In Los Angeles, violent assassin cartel affiliated gang and foreign terrorist organization (FTO) members were indicted as ICE officers continue to be attacked, The Center Square reported.

In Chicago, ICE is arresting cartel-connected gang members and FTOs, including Tren de Aragua and MS-13 members, while being targeted in drive by shootings. Chicago leads the U.S. with the most violent vehicular attacks against ICE agents; attacks have increased by 1,300% nationwide; death threats have increased by 8,000%, The Center Square reported. In Cook County, TdA crime has exploded.

Texas has experienced the most attacks against ICE facilities, including targeted shootings, bomb threats and mailed powdery substances in Welcoming City and Gateways supported Dallas.

In Certified Welcoming and Gateways supported Charlotte, ICE is targeting 1,400 criminal foreign nationals it says were released because of sanctuary policies; in Gateways supported Twin Cities and Lincoln, federal agents are uncovering massive immigration fraud.

ICE is also targeting human rights abusers, including ICE Detroit officers deporting a convicted Burkinabe coup leader illegally living in Cincinnati and arresting TdA members in Certified Welcoming and Gateways supported Detroit and sanctuary city of Denver.

Some sanctuary jurisdictions are reversing course. Earlier this year, Louisville’s mayor revoked the city’s sanctuary policies in the Certified Welcoming city after receiving legal threats from the DOJ. On Oct. 31, Baltimore County signed an agreement to cooperate with ICE and was removed from the DOJ’s sanctuary jurisdiction list.

Others aren’t. In September, the DOJ sued Minnesota, the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul; earlier this year, it sued Boston, Los Angeles and New York. ICE continues to arrest thousands of criminal foreign nationals released onto the streets in these jurisdictions, including violent sex offenders and traffickers. This year, the first racketeering and sex trafficking charges were brought against TdA members in New York.