The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday, May 29, published what it calls a “comprehensive list” of cities, counties and states that have sanctuary policies limiting how local law enforcement collaborates or works with federal immigration authorities. These jurisdictions, which include 13 states, Washington, D.C., and hundreds of other cities and counties across the country, are “ deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws endangering American communities,” the agency said in a statement.
The list was required by an executive order President Donald Trump signed on April 28 as part of his administration’s efforts to reform America’s immigration system.
Who made the list?
According to a DHS memo published Saturday, May 31, jurisdictions were placed on the list for several reasons, including compliance with federal law enforcement, restricting information shared with federal immigration authorities and providing legal protections for people residing in the country without proper documentation.
“Each jurisdiction listed will receive formal notification of its non-compliance with Federal statutes,” the memo reads. “DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.”
While the administration put forth some broad criteria, there is no established legal definition for what constitutes a sanctuary jurisdiction.
The list includes 13 states, as well as Washington, D.C., that self-identify as a “State Sanctuary Jurisdiction,” including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. While hundreds of cities and counties also made the list, some are progressive enclaves in otherwise reliably Republican states, such as Boise, Idaho, several counties across North Dakota, and Nashville, Tennessee. The same can be said for more conservative areas within liberal regions, such as Huntington Beach, which sits roughly 40 miles south of Los Angeles.
In a statement, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the politicians who oversee regions with sanctuary policies are “endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens,” using the Trump administration’s preferred term to describe immigrants who live in the U.S. illegally.
The agency said that the list can be “reviewed and changed at any time and will be updated regularly,” something that has reportedly already happened since its initial publication.
Cities, states push back
A spokesperson for the Denver Mayor’s Office told Scripps News, “Considering DHS has removed several Colorado counties from the list less than 24 hours after publishing, it doesn’t seem like they even know what their own criteria is.”
Meanwhile, Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley challenged DHS’ characterization of her city as a sanctuary for those living in the U.S. illegally. “The entire city of Las Vegas is surprised,” Berkley reportedly said. “We have never been a sanctuary city. We are not a sanctuary city. We’re not ever going to be a sanctuary city, and I’m respectfully requesting that the Department of Homeland Security remove the city of Las Vegas from that list.”
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott also pushed back against the designation, saying in a statement, “To be clear: by definition, Baltimore is not a sanctuary city, because we do not have jurisdiction over our jails. We follow our limited obligations as defined under federal immigration law.”
Huntington Beach, California, which, back in January, voted to declare itself a “non-sanctuary” city, was also included in the list. “I’ve done plenty of media interviews on this — there should be no confusion whatsoever that we are a non-sanctuary city,” Mayor Pat Burns said in a press release. The release added that “the DHS list is either a misprint or a serious mistake, and [Burns] has already reached out to his federal contacts to have the error corrected.”
On May 13, a coalition of 20 Democratic states, led by California, sued the Trump administration over its threats to withhold federal funds for transportation, counterterrorism, and disaster relief if they continued not to work with federal immigration enforcement.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said that withholding federal funds would be “blatantly illegal,” adding, “[Trump’s] treating these funds, which have nothing to do with immigration enforcement and everything to do with the safety of our communities, as a bargaining chip.”
