By Tim Sullivan
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department identified some three dozen states, cities and counties as so-called sanctuary jurisdictions on Tuesday, two months after the federal government quietly removed a much longer list that included many localities that support the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policies.
The earlier, typo-riddled list was met with pushback from across the political spectrum, with officials often saying it wasn’t clear why their jurisdictions were included.
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The new announcement doesn’t appear to threaten consequences beyond what the federal government is already doing.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi warned in the announcement that the department would “continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country.”
“Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design,” she said.
The new list is composed overwhelmingly of Democratic jurisdictions, including states like New York, California and Connecticut, cities like Boston and New York City and a handful of counties, including Baltimore County, Maryland, and Cook County, Illinois.
There’s no clear definition of sanctuary jurisdictions, but the term is generally applied to state and local governments that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The administration never fully explained the errors in the first announcement, which included hundreds of jurisdictions, including places that had voted overwhelmingly for Trump and at least one that had declared itself a “non-sanctuary city.” The list was published in late May on the Department of Homeland Security’s website but within three days was replaced with a “Page Not Found” error message.
Trump officials have long warned that the federal government would go after jurisdictions that do not cooperate with the president’s plans for mass deportations. In April, Trump signed an executive order requiring Homeland Security and the attorney general to publish a list of jurisdictions they believe are obstructing federal immigration laws.
The administration has filed a series of lawsuits targeting state or city policies it says are interfering with immigration enforcement, including those in Los Angeles, New York City, Denver and Rochester, New York. It sued four New Jersey cities in May.
In late July, a judge in Illinois dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit that sought to disrupt limits Chicago imposes on cooperation between federal immigration agents and local police.
How do you feel sanctuary policies affect your ability to effectively police your community?
Police1 readers respond
- I work in a state that has recently filed suit against several law enforcement officers for discussing the immigration status of suspects in drug and human trafficking cases. This literally ties our hands and makes us violate our oath to support both the US Constitution, as well as our state constitution, by obeying the laws of both. On the one hand you are required to notify the federal government of a person’s immigration status, especially through involvement in a serious crime, but you would then be violating state law in a sanctuary state where the attorney general is pursuing criminal or civil charges against you. How can anyone be expected to perform their duties with that kind of hypocrisy from our lawmakers?
- Sanctuary policies put the lives of citizens and law enforcement officers in grave danger by allowing criminal illegal immigrants to operate freely and with no fear of consequences for their actions.
As a former federal law enforcement officer and former New Yorker, I am writing as a concerned citizen to express my strong opposition to the existence and operation of so-called “sanctuary cities” across the United States.
These jurisdictions, by openly refusing to comply with federal immigration law, are in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution — specifically the Supremacy Clause, which establishes that federal law takes precedence over state and local policies. State and local officials — including mayors, commissioners and governors — who intentionally shield individuals in the country illegally, particularly those with criminal records, are not only defying federal statutes, but also endangering the safety and security of American citizens.
This disregard for the rule of law undermines the integrity of our legal system and sets a dangerous precedent. Public officials who enable these violations should be held accountable and prosecuted under federal law. No one — elected or otherwise — is above the law. By aiding and abetting violations of federal immigration law, these leaders are obstructing justice and betraying the oaths they swore to uphold.
Furthermore, federal funding should be immediately suspended for any state or city that refuses to cooperate with immigration enforcement. It is unreasonable and irresponsible to ask taxpayers to subsidize jurisdictions that deliberately ignore federal law and create safe havens for criminal aliens.
Local law enforcement officers also take an oath to support and defend the Constitution. When they are directed to ignore federal detainer requests or stand down, they are placed in an impossible position — forced to choose between their sworn duty and politically motivated directives. This conflict erodes public trust and compromises national security.
It is time for a return to lawful governance in which public officials are held accountable and the rule of law is upheld above political agendas. I urge federal authorities and legislators to take immediate and decisive action against sanctuary policies to ensure that every level of government honors the Constitution and protects the safety of all Americans.
- As a current law enforcement officer, I find it disgusting and reprehensible for any agency, city, township, county, or state that refuses to work with and/or assist any federal agency in enforcing laws whether they are federal or state laws or both. The mere presence of someone who is “undocumented” in the U.S. IS a crime, since they entered and/or stayed illegally and in direct violation of federal laws. It makes it even more so disgusting when those same criminals violate state laws while in the country illegally. As both a current officer and also a Navy veteran, I took an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution, as well as my state’s constitution, against all enemies, foreign or domestic. I take my oath seriously and so should any official within an agency, city, township, county, or state.
Full list of sanctuary judisdictions:
States, cities and counties identified as sanctuary jurisdictions
California
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
Counties
- San Diego County, CA
- San Francisco County, CA
Cities
- Berkeley, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Francisco City, CA
Colorado
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
Cities
- Denver, CO
Connecticut
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
Delaware
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
District of Columbia
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
Illinois
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
Counties
- Cook County, IL
Cities
- Chicago, IL
Minnesota
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
Nevada
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
New York
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
Cities
- New York City, NY
- Rochester, NY
Oregon
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
Cities
- Portland, OR
Rhode Island
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
Vermont
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
Washington
- State identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction
Cities
- Seattle, WA
Louisiana
Cities
- New Orleans, LA
Maryland
Counties
- Baltimore County, MD
Massachusetts
Cities
- Boston, MA
Michigan
Cities
- East Lansing, MI
New Jersey
Cities
- Hoboken, NJ
- Jersey City, NJ
- Newark, NJ
- Paterson, NJ
New Mexico
Cities
- Albuquerque, NM
Pennsylvania
Cities
- Philadelphia, PA
