On Tuesday, August 5, the United States Department of Justice released a new list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” that includes about 35 states, cities, and counties that have been identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
This list includes states such as New York, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, a territory, as well as cities like Los Angeles, Boston, and New York City, and counties like Baltimore County in Maryland and Cook County in Illinois.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi, in a statement announcing the list, stated that the Department of Justice will continue to “bring lawsuits against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eliminate these harmful policies that impede federal immigration enforcement nationwide.”
In April of this year, President Trump signed an executive order requiring the Department of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to periodically publish a list of “jurisdictions” deemed to obstruct the implementation of federal immigration laws, including states and local jurisdictions considered hindrances.
The executive order also emphasized that the “federal government must restore the enforcement of U.S. law.”
If a “sanctuary jurisdiction” receives notice and is later determined by the Trump administration to “continue to resist,” then the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security will have the authority to take necessary “legal remedies and enforcement measures” to compel compliance.
The Trump administration publicly identified over 500 non-compliant areas in May, and filed lawsuits against some areas seeking to enforce federal law, including a lawsuit against New York City on July 24.
Recently, the mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, agreed to revoke its sanctuary policy after receiving a letter threatening legal action from the Department of Justice.
Furthermore, in May, the Trump administration filed lawsuits against four cities in New Jersey, alleging that their policies interfered with federal immigration enforcement.
Trump administration officials have warned that the federal government will take further action against sanctuary jurisdictions that oppose the President’s large-scale plan to expel illegal immigrants.