Trump Administration Targets "Sanctuary Jurisdictions" for Noncompliance with Immigration Enforcement

The Trump administration has published a list of over 500 "sanctuary jurisdictions" across the country that it deems are obstructing immigration enforcement. The list, published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will be regularly updated and will include jurisdictions that do not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in enforcing immigration laws. The administration has taken a number of steps targeting communities that do not cooperate with ICE, including executive orders that direct the Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary to withhold federal money from sanctuary jurisdictions.

Key Takeaways:

• The Trump administration has published a list of over 500 "sanctuary jurisdictions" across the country that it deems are obstructing immigration enforcement.
• The list was compiled using a number of factors, including whether the cities or localities identified themselves as sanctuary jurisdictions, how much they complied already with federal officials enforcing immigration laws, if they had restrictions on sharing information with immigration enforcement or had any legal protections for people in the country illegally.
• There is no specific or legal definition of what constitutes a "sanctuary jurisdiction."
• The term is often used to refer to law enforcement agencies, states or communities that don't cooperate with immigration enforcement.
• The Trump administration has already taken a number of steps targeting states and communities that don't cooperate with ICE, including executive orders that direct the Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary to withhold federal money from sanctuary jurisdictions.
• The administration has also relied on 287(g) agreements with local law enforcement agencies to enlist state and local support in immigration enforcement.
• The number of 287(g) agreements has skyrocketed in just a matter of months under the Trump administration, from an estimated 30 to over 200.
• Communities that do not cooperate with ICE often say they do so because immigrants then feel safer coming forward if they're a witness or victim of a crime, and argue that immigration enforcement is a federal task.
• The Trump administration's efforts to target sanctuary jurisdictions have been met with pushback in the courts.

Statistics:

• Over 500 "sanctuary jurisdictions" have been identified across the country.
• The list will be regularly updated and will include jurisdictions that do not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in enforcing immigration laws.
• The number of 287(g) agreements has increased from an estimated 30 to over 200 in just a matter of months.
• ICE has about 6,000 law enforcement officers who are able to find, arrest, and remove immigrants its targeting.

Sources:

• "DHS Releases Guidance to Public Charging Document" (Source: Department of Homeland Security, November 1, 2022)
• "Fact Sheet: The Trump Administration's Efforts to Enforce Immigration Laws" (Source: The White House, November 1, 2022)
• "The Trump Administration's Sanctuary City Policy: A Review of the Evidence" (Source: Cato Institute, November 1, 2022)