About a dozen states and hundreds of cities across the United States consider themselves “sanctuaries” for undocumented immigrants, but there is no universal definition for what constitutes a “sanctuary” jurisdiction.
The term typically refers to states, counties or cities that put some limits on how much they are willing to cooperate with federal agencies’ efforts to deport undocumented immigrants.
Local governments first began adopting sanctuary policies in the 1980s when churches offered refuge to people fleeing civil war in El Salvador. The practice has drawn increased attention over the last decade, as immigration became a bigger issue for voters.
During Donald J. Trump’s first term in office, many Democratic-led jurisdictions affirmed or reinforced their status as sanctuaries. But in recent years, many Democratic-led cities have been overwhelmed with migrants many of whom were bused there from the southern border by the administration of Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas. That has fueled criticism of the cities’ sanctuary policies, not only from longstanding opponents but also from leaders who once supported the idea.
President Trump and his allies have promised to take a hard line on immigration, and senior officials have made clear that some of the cities that have embraced sanctuary policies would be targeted for enforcement actions.
“Sanctuary jurisdictions aren’t going to stop what we’re going to do,” Thomas D. Homan, Mr. Trump’s new “border czar,” said in an interview with NewsNation in December.
The Justice Department issued a memo on Wednesday ordering U.S. attorneys around the country to investigate and prosecute state and local law enforcement officials who do not comply with the Trump administration’s new immigration policies. The memo raises the possibility of clashes between the federal government and sanctuary cities.
The United States now has as many as 14 million undocumented immigrants. Sanctuary policies have generally been adopted in places with large immigrant populations, including numerous undocumented people whose status makes them vulnerable to deportation. Many of them have families, including U.S.-born children, and other established ties to the community.
What practical effects do sanctuary policies have?
If Mr. Trump is to carry out mass deportations, the simplest way to gather large numbers of people to deport would be to collect immigrants who have been booked in local jails for minor offenses like traffic violations.
However, sanctuary jurisdictions have usually turned undocumented people over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement only if a federal arrest warrant had been issued, or if the person had been convicted of a serious crime.
Local leaders, especially in places where many immigrants live, say that if people see their teachers, police officers and public health workers as arms of federal immigration agencies, it becomes much harder to provide key services. That is why many local police departments do not routinely collect information about immigration status, and do not make arrests solely for immigration violations.
Do sanctuary policies affect public safety?
Police chiefs and other local leaders have testified before Congress that working with ICE erodes trust between the police and immigrants, making communities less safe. Research has found that crime rates tend to be lower in sanctuary counties than in other counties.
Critics of sanctuary policies argue that they undermine public safety by impeding federal agents from removing deportable criminals.
Sanctuary cities do not stop federal agents from conducting immigration enforcement, which occurs across the country. And the policies have no effect on immigrants who are arrested on federal criminal charges, imprisoned and then deported.
Though the Justice Department memo on Wednesday did not specifically cite them, it appeared to be aimed at sanctuary cities, where ICE is sure to mount enforcement actions. The memo also cautioned local officials against taking any action that would violate Mr. Trump’s executive orders.
Which states and cities are sanctuaries?
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington are among states that have sanctuary policies.
Some cities, like Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, have sanctuary ordinances that prohibit the use of city resources like transportation or personnel for immigration enforcement.
On the other side, many states, including Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, have anti-sanctuary laws that compel local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
