State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

McMaster pushes for law requiring S.C. local governments to prove they follow immigration laws

The Post and Courier: COLUMBIA — Gov. Henry McMaster is pushing for legislation he says will ensure no South Carolina city begins harboring undocumented immigrants from federal enforcement.

He acknowledged Monday there are no so-called “sanctuary cities” in the Republican-controlled state — a term that loosely refers to a government refusing to cooperate with federal immigration laws. But the announcement highlights McMaster’s ties to President Donald Trump, who has railed against sanctuary cities, as the Republican governor seeks his first full term.

State law already bans local governments from restricting federal immigration laws and requires officers to “make a reasonable effort” to determine whether prisoners are in the country legally. Cities that don’t can be sued. Courts struck down other sections of the 2011 law, which would have required officers to check a person’s immigration status at traffic stops, arrests or at any point during an investigation.

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