Washington, D.C.'s Mayor Muriel Bowser (D.) told a Twitter user on Thursday to tear down a flyer that was encouraging D.C. citizens to report illegal immigrants. The flyer, which was subsequently determined to be fake, prompted an impassioned defense of D.C.'s sanctuary city status from its mayor.
A picture of the flyer was tweeted out by Twitter user @BalkansBohemia, who said that similar fliers were appearing all over his or her neighborhood in southwest D.C.
The flyer, billing itself as a "sanctuary city neighborhood public notice" and bearing U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) letterhead, reproduces a section of the federal code outlining "offenses related to the harboring, encouraging/inducing, and conspiracy/aiding or abetting of illegal aliens." It encouraged passers-by to contact an ICE hotline if they saw suspicious activity.
All over my neighborhood in SW DC today. pic.twitter.com/HU9BwpW0ZW
— Balkans Bohemia (@BalkansBohemia) June 1, 2017
Bowser retweeted the post, jumping on the chance to defend D.C.'s sanctuary city status.
"Tear it down!" she wrote. "DC is a sanctuary city."
"Clearly the flyer is meant to scare and divide our residents," she continued. "We won't stand for it. #DC Values."
Tear it down!
DC is a sanctuary city.
Clearly the flyer is meant to scare and divide our residents.
We won't stand for it. #DCValues https://t.co/aCf9ewJ8Ir
— Muriel Bowser (@MurielBowser) June 1, 2017
Bowser then tweeted that the signs were not real, and said that her office has "been in contact with @DCPoliceDept and @DCDPW to have them removed."
Bowser took the opportunity to reiterate that, "we respect all DC residents no matter their immigration status. Washington, DC remains a sanctuary city."
We have been alerted to flyers regarding US Immigration and Customs Enforcement - please know that these are not real. [1/3] https://t.co/fdKfmLm93v
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) June 1, 2017
And a reminder that we respect all DC residents no matter their immigration status. Washington, DC remains a sanctuary city. #DCvalues [3/3]
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) June 1, 2017
Bowser defended Washington's sanctuary city status in January after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withhold federal funds from cities that refuse to enforce federal immigration law.