A federal judge has halted previous efforts to crack down on communities that the Trump administration says are blocking immigration enforcement.
LA County has been removed from the DOJ Sanctuary jurisdiction list
Although there is no clear definition of a sanctuary jurisdiction, the term generally applies to state and local governments that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
FOX -LA
DENVER – The Trump administration has threatened to sues and withhold federal funds from more than 20 “sanctuary” states, cities and counties due to lack of cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
“Sanctuary policies disrupt law enforcement and put American citizens at risk more than design,” Attorney General Pam Bondy said in a statement. “The Department of Justice will continue to file lawsuits against the sanctuary jurisdiction and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies across the country.”
Including Republican-led Vermont on the list, as well as Democrat-run California and Colorado, comes with an explicit threat of litigation and federal funding suspension. Border Emperor Tom Homan had previously committed to “flooding” these jurisdictions with immigration and customs enforcement agents.
Several federal judges blocked the administration’s previous efforts to punish some of these jurisdictions, including Chicago, Oregon and Portland.
Earlier this year, the White House almost immediately retracted the rather long list after saying that many communities on the list were incorrectly included. In many jurisdictions on the new list, local leaders argue that allowing police to partner with ICE will discourage crime victims and witnesses from moving forward regardless of immigration status.
In announcing the new list, including both New York City and New York, Chicago and San Francisco, the White House stressed that Louisville, Kentucky, agreed to end the sanctuary policy in the face of the threat of lawsuits.
What is “Jurisdiction of the Sanctuary”?
There is no specific legal definition of sanctuary jurisdiction, but Bondi’s office said it was thinking about not working with immigrants or customs enforcement agents, providing government benefits to undocumented immigrants, or refusing to share immigration information about prison detainees.
Federal officials argue that local jurisdictions should at least respect what is known as “detainees.” This will be held by anyone suspected of immigration violations and who have completed prison sentences or been released into the community until the ice agent arrives.
In a statement, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, a Democrat, said he agreed to join the detainee system in return for being stolen from the sanctuary city list. City officials said the decision will affect around 100 people a year, and said agreeing to respect detainees would save more aggressive road-level enforcement of the kind that has caused uncertainty among the citizens of Los Angeles.
“We believe that by focusing Trump administration immigration enforcement measures on a small number of prisoners who commit crimes and are subject to deportation, we best protect law-abiding communities and cities as a whole,” Greenberg said.
Federal courts are currently weighing several cases brought by the Trump administration over jurisdiction over sanctuary listings. Last month, a federal judge abandoned the Trump administration’s sanctuary jurisdiction lawsuit against Chicago and surrounding Cook County.
Which communities are called “sanctuaries” for immigration?
The following communities provide “sanctuary” to migrants who lack legal rights in the country, according to the Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondy said the list could change as cities, counties or states changed policies in the future.
state:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Columbia area
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- new york
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
county:
- Baltimore County, Maryland
- Cook County, Illinois
- San Diego County, California
- San Francisco County, California
City:
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Berkeley, California
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Chicago,
- Denver, what?
- East Lansing, Michigan
- Hoboken, New Jersey
- Jersey City, New Jersey
- Los Angeles, California
- New Orleans, LA
- New York City, New York
- Newark, New Jersey
- Patterson, New Jersey
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Portland, Oregon
- Rochester, New York
- Seattle, Washington
- San Francisco, California
