Wallace Was Not a Sanctuary City

Many cites in our country are now so called "sanctuary cites" for those who have chosen to enter our country illegally. The exact meaning of that term varies from city, but basically it means that local law enforcement cannot inquire about some one's immigration status. In the state of Washington, one can even get a driver's license without being there legally.

My hometown was not a sanctuary city. Everyone knew who was supposed to be there, and  they also knew those who were not supposed to be there. If they did nor know where someone was from, they would ask politely. Here is a typical scene in a bar in Wallace on a Friday night.

The bar is full of miners nourishing their thirsty bodies with Bud, Coors, and shots of whiskey. The jukebox is grinding out the latest crying in your beer song, and who was doing who and when.The door opens, and all conversation comes to a sudden halt. There is a silence as thick and dark as a southern night in Georgia.
All eyes are glued on the man walking through the door. The survival instincts are fully alert, and the blood is pumping furiously through their veins.

There were a lot of ways to distinguish who is an illegal alien in Wallace.The first thing that was obvious was the mode of dress. Illegal aliens had their shirt tails tucked in. This was a sure sign that something was wrong.
No legal Wallace resident would ever have their shirt tail tucked in while residing on a bar stool on a Saturday night. Once the tell tale signs were ascertained that the person entering the bar did not belong there, the inquisition would begin.

" Where are you from , mister?" The question sounded innocent enough, and that was by design because the question was actually geared to lead the stranger in to a false sense that this was indeed a friendly place.
The answer that the stranger gave would determine how severe the beating would be. It would also determine what method was used to send the stranger on his way home. If the answer did not offend the locals fine sensibilities, the stranger would be bought a drink after the pounding of his face. If the answer was wrong, well, let's just say this person would not want to illegally enter a Wallace bar again. Yep, we knew how to handle our illegal alien problem of those who tried to come in from such foreign countries such as Coeur D' Alene, Spokane, Seattle , and God help them, Kellogg.

Wallace never had any illegal alien problems. They simply were not not allowed entry.