Considerable news attention in recent months has focused on crime rates in major urban areas, including Washington, San Francisco, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Baltimore. The current administration has suggested that National Guard deployments to these cities might be an appropriate way to address this problem.

As the government shutdown stretches into its fourth week, Americans are hearing two very different stories about who is to blame and what is at stake. Official communications from members of Congress express how each side is attempting to shape public opinion on the shutdown.

While immigration policy is set at the federal level, enforcement in many cases involves local agencies. Undocumented immigrants generally come into contact with state and local authorities first, including local police or social services agencies. This makes cooperation between different levels of government necessary for implementing immigration enforcement. In recent years, “sanctuary cities” have become central to political and policy debates.