Trump administration threatens to penalize sanctuary cities in the U.S.

Washington (EFE) – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a comprehensive list of sanctuary jurisdictions—including cities, counties, and states—that the White House accuses of deliberately obstructing the enforcement of immigration laws by refusing to cooperate, and which it seeks to penalize.

The list includes 36 of the 50 U.S. states, with California topping the list for having the most cities and counties with sanctuary policies that limit local police cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Illinois and Colorado are also among the states with the highest number of local governments that have enacted laws to protect undocumented immigrants.

The DHS stated that the list follows an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on April 28, which instructs Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify and publicly call out jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Noem warned in a statement that each jurisdiction on the list will receive a formal notice of noncompliance and a record of all potential violations of federal criminal law.

Most of the states, counties, and cities that have declared themselves as sanctuary jurisdictions argue that they lack the funding to assist ICE agents with arrests.

The DHS has demanded that these jurisdictions “immediately review and revise their policies” to align with the Trump Administration’s agenda, which has launched a major campaign to increase immigration arrests and deportations.

This is not the first time Trump has targeted sanctuary cities. During his first term, he froze federal funding to these cities, counties, and states, but was challenged in court—where he lost most of the cases.