Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre’s move to have Montreal declared a “sanctuary city” comes as a surge of immigrants cross into Canada from the United States.
Coderre is also president of the World Association of Major Metropolises, an organization that has been cozying up with Tehran over the past two decades; so Coderre’s lack of concern about jihadists possibly crossing into Canada is perhaps understandable. The World Association of Major Metropolises signed an agreement with Tehran last fall to “boost mutual cooperation in various fields.” The World Association of Major Metropolises is described as “the largest association gathering the governments of major cities and metropolitan areas all over the world.”
On January 31st, Montreal Mayor Coderre tweeted:
Message to Donald @POTUS Trump. Montreal proud “Sanctuary City”Newcomers & refugees are welcome.Diversity is our strength and part of our DNA
Coderre is now “planning to introduce ‘very concrete measures’ to ensure people without status or documentation have access to municipal services without fear of expulsion.”
This effort to force Montreal into a “sanctuary city” comes a serious risk for that city, particularly since Quebec has become a “flashpoint for asylum seekers” who are now streaming into Canada from the U.S. because of fears of being deported by President Trump. In January alone, 452 asylum seekers showed up at the Quebec border, a reported 230% jump from the previous year.
“Groups say Montreal must go beyond words to become a ‘Sanctuary City,'” by Linda Gyulai, Montreal Gazette, February 19, 2017:
As Montreal city council prepares to vote on Monday on a motion declaring this a “sanctuary city,” several community groups concerned with the fate of undocumented immigrants are warning that words aren’t enough.
“What we’ve learned is that motions are often really symbolic and they don’t result in tangible changes in people’s lives,” Jaggi Singh, an organizer with Solidarity Across Borders, said on Sunday.
Singh’s group plans to hold a press conference with at least five other organizations on Monday to urge the city to adopt concrete measures that will help people with precarious immigration status.
Among them is a demand that the city order local police and métro agents to stop asking immigration status when they stop a person for a minor infraction and to stop collaborating with Canada Border Services Agency to have them deported, he said.
Mayor Denis Coderre announced on Wednesday that Montreal would join other North American cities, such as Toronto, San Francisco and Chicago, by adopting the declaration of an official policy not to discriminate against undocumented immigrants by denying them access to municipal services.
The mayor’s move with the “sanctuary city” declaration comes as a surge of immigrants, many without status, cross into Canada from the United States, where U.S. President Donald Trump has declared his intention to round up and deport millions of illegal immigrants.
In fact, Coderre posted a message to Trump on Twitter after the president signed an executive order banning visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries.
“Message to Donald @POTUS Trump,” Coderre’s tweet said. “Montreal proud ‘Sanctuary City’ Newcomers & refugees are welcome. Diversity is our strength and part of our DNA.”
The Montreal motion is to be put to council for a vote on Monday afternoon….