Sanctuary Prosecutors Favor Alien Criminals Over American Citizens, Investigative Report Reveals

Strategic Insights -

The Immigration Reform Law Institute has published an investigative report exposing how "progressive" prosecutors in sanctuary jurisdictions across the United States are creating a two-tiered justice system that favors illegal aliens over American citizens. These prosecutors deliberately offer lenient charges, plea deals, and sentences to non-citizen defendants solely to shield them from deportation, violating the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law. The report calls on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and State Attorneys General to investigate and sue these jurisdictions under federal and state law to end this anti-American discrimination.

Key Takeaways:

  • The report identifies 15 sanctuary jurisdictions, including Brooklyn, Westchester County in New York; Portland, Oregon; Boulder and Denver in Colorado; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Los Angeles and San Francisco in California; Chicago, Illinois; Seattle, Washington; and Arlington County, Virginia, where prosecutors prioritize "immigration-neutral" outcomes for non-citizens, while denying similar leniency to U.S. citizens facing comparable offenses.
  • The policies stem from a sham, Soros-funded ideology that misuses Supreme Court precedents like Padilla v. Kentucky to justify undermining federal immigration enforcement.
  • The report argues that citizenship-based discrimination triggers strict scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause, as affirmed in cases like Graham v. Richardson and Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College.
  • IRLI outlines in the report how "immigration neutral" prosecution policies expose jurisdictions to federal liability under Section 12601 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, empowering DOJ to enjoin patterns of unconstitutional conduct.
  • The report also details how State Attorneys General in affected states have authority under state constitutions and civil rights laws to investigate and enjoin these practices, complementing federal efforts with state-level enforcement.
  • IRLI calls on the DOJ to investigate and sue these jurisdictions under federal and state law to end this anti-American discrimination.

Statistics:

  • 15 sanctuary jurisdictions identified in the report, including Brooklyn, New York; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington.
  • 71% of non-citizen defendants in Brooklyn received reduced charges or diversion programs between 2019 and 2022.
  • 65% of non-citizen defendants in Los Angeles received reduced charges or diversion programs between 2019 and 2022.
  • 55% of non-citizen defendants in San Francisco received reduced charges or diversion programs between 2019 and 2022.

Sources:

  • Immigration Reform Law Institute's Investigative Report on Sanctuary Prosecutors, published July 23, 2025.
  • https://www.irli.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Investigative-Report-on-Sanctuary-Prosecutors-FINAL-draft-7-23-2025.pdf
  • Mateo Forero, IRLI's director of investigations.
  • Christopher J. Hajec, acting executive director and general counsel of IRLI.