The U.S. Department of Justice published a list of 35 so-called "sanctuary jurisdictions" on Tuesday, threatening legal action against states, counties, and cities with immigration policies that do not align with the Trump administration.
States and localities that the Justice Department has identified as sanctuary jurisdictions include:
States:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
Counties:
- Baltimore County, Maryland
- Cook County, Illinois
- San Diego County, California
- San Francisco County, California
Cities:
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Berkeley, California
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Chicago, Illinois
- Denver, Colorado
- East Lansing, Michigan
- Hoboken, New Jersey
- Jersey City, New Jersey
- Los Angeles, California
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- New York City, New York
- Newark, New Jersey
- Paterson, New Jersey
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Portland, Oregon
- Rochester, New York
- Seattle, Washington
- San Francisco, California
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that the policies, laws, and regulations in the listed jurisdictions "impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design."
"The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country," she added.
The pledge comes following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in April, titled "Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens."
The order claimed that "some State and local officials ... continue to use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws," and directed the Justice Department to compile a list of such jurisdictions.
The order also directed government agencies to identify potential cuts to federal funds that go to sanctuary jurisdictions, including grants and contracts.
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A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told the Scripps News Group in May that inclusion on the list was based on multiple factors, including self-identification as a sanctuary jurisdiction, noncompliance with Federal law enforcement in enforcing immigration laws, restrictions on information sharing, and legal protections for illegal aliens."
The Justice Department listed Louisville, Kentucky, as just one example of a city that recently decided to revoke its "sanctuary policies" in response to a letter from the Trump administration threatening legal action.
The Department of Homeland Security says the current list can be changed at any time and will be updated regularly.
