The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has removed a list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” including states, cities, and counties from its website. This move came after a sheriffs’ association criticized the list, stating that disclosing a list of sheriffs who do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement could harm the relationship between the Trump administration and local law enforcement.
Last Thursday, DHS released a list of jurisdictions it deemed as “sanctuary jurisdictions” that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. This list prompted a response from the National Sheriffs’ Association, representing over 3,000 sheriffs in the U.S. who generally support federal immigration enforcement.
The association’s chairman, Sheriff Kieran Donahue, stated in a Saturday statement that DHS released a list of alleged “non-cooperative sheriffs” in a manner lacking transparency and accountability. Donahue mentioned that the list was created without consulting the sheriffs and violated core principles of trust, cooperation, and partnership with law enforcement peers.
On April 28, President Trump signed an executive order directing the DHS Secretary and the Attorney General to publish a list of jurisdictions at the state and local levels that they believe obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration law. This list will be regularly updated.
The webpage listing these jurisdictions on the DHS website was inaccessible on Sunday, and Fox News host Maria Bartiromo raised this issue with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on the “Sunday Morning Futures” program.
While Noem did not acknowledge the list being taken down, she admitted that some local authorities were unhappy with it.
Noem stated, “Some cities have voiced their opposition.” She added that these cities believed they were not sanctuary jurisdictions, “but in fact, they are indeed providing sanctuary for criminals.”
Noem mentioned that DHS would continue to utilize this sanctuary jurisdiction record.
It is unclear when the list was taken down and whether it is related to the sheriffs’ opposition.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is responsible for enforcing immigration law nationwide but often seeks assistance from state and local authorities. For instance, when there are immigrants to be deported who are under warrant, they ask these authorities to inform federal agencies and detain the immigrant until federal officers arrive to take over.
(This article references Reuters reporting)