Man Starts Petition to Make Sunnyside A Sanctuary City

Adding more discussion to the heated issue of sanctuary cities who are breaking federal immigration laws, a Sunnyside man has begun a petition trying to urge the city to adopt sanctuary laws, similar to Seattle, that 'protect' illegal immigrants from deportation.

According to the Daily Sunny News, 21-year-old Enrique Rosas says he's compiled 365 signatures, and talked with 8 businesses in the last week or so.

The Sunny News says he began his efforts after Mayor Jim Restucci said he has been working to get Sunnyside off a reported national list as a sanctuary city.

According to the Center for Immigration Studies, Sunnyside is listed as a 'sanctuary' but the city has no official policy either way on the matter. Yakima County is also listed as such by the Center, and officials are trying to make it clear they are not.

Seattle has official policies in place that forbid law enforcement from assisting federal law enforcement (ICE) in pursuing illegals, and the city has for years 'boasted' of it's efforts to help illegal elude apprehension.

Rosas' efforts would, if successful, make the city the only sanctuary in Eastern Washington or Oregon.

Rosas says his family, who moved to Washington state after deportation efforts were stepped up in Arizona years ago, was deported in 2005, and he has not seen them since. Rosas was born in Mesa, AZ and is a U.S. citizen, his father and older brother are not and were deported. He has other family members who are legal, and are still here.

According to reports, the city's legal council has contacted the Center for Immigration Studies, asking to be removed from the sanctuary list, but have not received any response.