BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Earlier this week, the Birmingham City Council passed a resolution declaring itself a sanctuary city. But now, one candidate for the council is questioning whether or not that decision is even legal.

In a post on his Facebook page, Jordan Thompson, a candidate for District 2, noted that a municipality does not have the legal authority to make such a significant policy decision. He argues that the City of Birmingham is constrained by what legal scholars call the Dillon Rule, which asserts municipal corporations owe their origin to, and derive their powers and rights wholly from, the legislature.

“I cited the Dillon rule because this is an issue that the city can’t authorize,” he told Yellowhammer. “But what bothered me most is that the city is doing this for pomp and circumstance. They know they can’t authorize it.”

The City Council has not claim of ignorance of the Dillon Rule, as it was specifically brought up during the proceedings. Valerie Abbot of District 3 mentioned it, noting the city had no authority to enact the resolution. “The resolution didn’t do anything at all,” Thompson said. “But they’re making it seem like there’s a legal binding authority when there is none.”

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He also made the important distinction between being inclusive versus being in violation of the law. “I understand having Birmingham as a welcoming city. We are welcoming of people of all walks of life, backgrounds, and cultures,” he said. “But to pretend like we are defying Federal and State laws, that’s not right.”

According to Thompson, Birmingham’s song and dance on the immigration issue appears to be a symptom of a larger problem. “These city council meetings start with people getting awards for everything. They’re awarding each other for things that don’t actually matter,” Thompson said. “City council right now is a joke. It’s a mess.”

At the moment, Birmingham has a number of pressing issues that the council has yet to address. Utility rates are rising due to local Water Works turnover, the crime rate remains high, and 13 of the city’s schools have been listed as “failing.”

“This is just another example of them patting themselves on the back and not getting anything accomplished,” he said.

But Thompson was not all negative. He acknowledged Birmingham is growing, but he believes it can be done in a more efficient, cheap, and less corrupt way. That is why he has decided to run for city council.

Thompson graduated from The University of Alabama in 2013, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. Upon graduation, he was granted ROTC Commission to become a United States Army Officer. Currently, he is in his third year at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. In September 2015, he incorporated a 501(c)3 called “Teams For Troops, which allocates donations to finance sports related care-packages which are delivered to deployed military personnel.

He has previously spoken out about numerous political issues, covering everything from “PC Culture” to Colin Kaepernick’s protest of the national anthem.

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You can learn more about Thompson and his campaign positions at thompson2017.com.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The views contained in this article are Jordan Thompson’s, and do not necessarily represent the U.S. Department of Defense)