The Trump administration, through the Department of Homeland Security, is once again attempting to pressure into compliance local governments across the country that oppose efforts to mass deport undocumented immigrants — by publishing a list of “sanctuary jurisdictions.”
DHS, on Friday, May 30, released a list of more than 500 “sanctuary jurisdictions” nationwide, accusing them of violating federal immigration law for refusing to comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
The list includes many Southern California locations, including Los Angeles city, the entirety of L.A. County, Long Beach, Culver City, Pasadena and Baldwin Park, among others.
Though there isn’t one universally agreed upon legal definition for what constitutes a sanctuary jurisdiction or city, it usually refers to law enforcement agencies, states or other government agencies that don’t comply with immigration enforcement.
ICE is the enforcement arm of immigration policies and laws across the country, but the agency often seeks state and local assistance in their operations through information sharing and other tactics.
“Designation of a sanctuary jurisdiction is based on the evaluation of numerous factors,” a DHS spokesperson said in a Friday statement, “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.”
Earlier this month, Trump signed new executive orders intended to ramp up restrictions on U.S. immigration, including his mass deportation campaign.
One directive instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to provide the list of states and local cities that “obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws” within 30 days.
Trump’s order also threatened to cut federal funds for those states, counties and cities that have declared themselves a “sanctuary” for undocumented immigrants, preventing or limiting cooperation with ICE activity.
It’s unclear whether the Trump administration will follow through on its threats to punish the immigrant-friendly cities published on Friday’s list. DHS did not respond to questions about what will happen to jurisdictions that don’t comply with the demands outlined in Friday’s publication.
“The list is actively reviewed, will be regularly updated and can be changed at any time,” the DHS spokesperson said Friday. “President Trump and Secretary Noem have been clear: sanctuary jurisdictions should immediately cease violation of Federal law and cooperate with law enforcement.”
For some local cities. their inclusion on the list came as somewhat of a surprise — and without notice.
Pasadena, for example, has yet to be notified about its inclusion on the list.
“We are aware of the DHS website that includes hundreds of cities and counties throughout the nation, including Pasadena,” city’ spokesperson Lisa Derderian said Friday, “but we have not received any formal notification from DHS and therefore can’t comment at this time.”
In La Puente, city staffers are working to get more information about the situation — including the actual scope and intentions of the list, according to City Manager Bob Lindsey.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger — who represents dozens of cities in the Fifth District, including Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank — said in a Friday statement that she is “interested in reviewing the details of the Department of Homeland Security’s formal notification and await that additional information.”
“I support the deportation of individuals who are in this country illegally and have committed violent crimes — our laws must be enforced, and public safety must remain a top priority,” Barger said. “We need a balanced, compassionate, and lawful approach that prioritizes safety without creating fear in our communities.”
Sup. Janice Hahn, meanwhile, said in a Friday statement that L.A. County is not formally a sanctuary jurisdiction and is in compliance with federal law.
“While LA County is not formally a sanctuary jurisdiction, we are upholding our commitment to human rights, the Constitution,” said Hahn, whose Fourth District includes Bellflower, Downey, Torrance, Long Beach and many other cities, “and doing what we can to ensure all our residents are treated with dignity and respect regardless of their immigration status.”
Hahn noted that the county is in compliance with — and continues to abide by — federal law.
“It is especially important that we provide information about the rights immigrants have,” Hahn said, “and ensure county services and locations are accessible to everyone who needs them. “
In Long Beach, officials also did not receive any notification prior to being named on DHS’ list, according to a Friday statement.
“Although the city has never declared itself a ‘sanctuary’ jurisdiction, it has been included on the federal list without prior notice or explanation,” Long Beach’s statement said. “The criteria or investigative process used to make this designation remain entirely opaque.”
DHS also provided no evidence to support its conclusions that jurisdictions on the list are in violation of federal immigration law, the statement said.
“Immigration in our country is clearly spelled out in federal law as a federal responsibility. The laws regarding immigration are passed nationally and the enforcement is handled at a national level,” the statement added. “Immigration enforcement is not a job of local law enforcement, and our Long Beach Police Department is not an arm of federal immigration agencies.”
Although Long Beach has not explicitly declared itself a sanctuary city, as many others in California have done in recent years, it has likely been named on the list for its 2018 passage of the Long Beach Values Act.
The local version of the Values Act, modeled after the California Values Act, essentially states that Long Beach won’t engage in or allocate city resources toward immigration enforcement. In January, Long Beach’s City Council strengthened and reaffirmed its policies in the Values Act.
The California Values Act specifically directed local police departments not to engage with federal immigration enforcement, except in certain cases.
When the the Trump administration challenged the California Values Act in federal court, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the state, finding that the provisions of the bill were compliant with federal law.
“While the city does not, and need not, allocate its local resources to the enforcement of federal law, the city does not obstruct federal law enforcement in any way and remains fully compliant with all applicable federal laws,” the city said. “It has no policy or practice that interferes with lawful federal enforcement efforts — immigration or otherwise.”
Long Beach will continue reviewing any new information from the federal government, Long Beach said.
The Associated Press and staff writer David Wilson contributed to this report.
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