“Fact Gap” on Trump’s Crime and Immigration Claims

Data Says Sanctuary Counties are Safer

You’ve heard of the gender gap and the generation gap. Well, we have a new one for you. We call it the “fact gap.” It is a phenomenon that arises when a politician spouts words that have no factual basis whatsoever. The sole purpose of these statements appears to be the furthering of the agenda of the politician and his cronies. The lack of any factual support for these statements is apparently irrelevant to those making them. All of which brings us to the recent claim by President Trump that sanctuary cities are hotbeds of crime. But let’s look at the facts before we reactively state that the President is seldom right and wrong again.

What is a “sanctuary jurisdiction”?

A sanctuary jurisdiction is defined as any municipality, county or other political subdivision that has a policy under which it refuses to aid the enforcement of federal immigration laws. It is not merely a few scattered locations. In 2015, for example, there were over 200 jurisdictions that did not honor detention requests from the feds. In California, San Diego is a sanctuary, along with Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The recent claim by Trump fits in well with the goal of promoting ethnic, racial, religious and nationalistic intolerance. But it’s short on facts, primarily because the statement itself is a complete falsehood. Nevertheless, the issue is an important one. On the heels of the statement, Trump signed an executive order that promises to withhold federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions. Incidentally, the executive order was signed on January 25. Less than a week later, San Francisco became the first city to file a lawsuit claiming that the order is unconstitutional.

A day after the order was signed, a study was published that examined the issue in detail. What the study found, comparing sanctuary and non-sanctuary jurisdictions, was that

there are fewer crimes (including homicide) per capita in sanctuary counties;

median household income is higher in sanctuary counties;

the poverty rate is lower in sanctuary counties; and

the unemployment rate is lower in sanctuary counties.

The conclusion is inescapable. Not only is there no factual support for Trump’s claim, the evidence clearly shows that the complete opposite is true. So much for walking down the street to buy a loaf of bread and getting shot, eh, Don?

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Author Bio

David P. Shapiro

David P. Shapiro, the managing partner and founder of a leading San Diego criminal defense firm, is driven by an unwavering commitment to providing the best possible representation to his clients facing criminal charges. With a deep understanding of the fear, uncertainty, and concern for one’s future that his clients experience, David approaches each case with empathy and dedication, advocating tirelessly for their rights and freedoms.

Focused on complex and high-stakes cases, David handles a wide range of serious charges, including felonies, violent crimes, sex crimes, drug offenses, and white-collar crimes. Since establishing his practice in 2010, David has earned a reputation as one of San Diego’s most respected criminal defense attorneys.

His firm has been recognized by LawFirm500 as one of the nation’s fastest-growing law firms and was a 2022 Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics Winner. The San Diego Business Journal named David’s firm the 17th Fastest Growing Private Company in San Diego from 2019-2021 and recognized David as one of San Diego’s 500 Most Influential People in 2022. With a strong dedication to his clients and community, David continues to be a driving force in the San Diego legal landscape.

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