Trump administration threatens to withhold federal funds from 'sanctuary' states like VT
The new list, released Aug. 5 by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Public Affairs, includes three states and one city in New England: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and Boston, Massachusetts.
"Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. "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."
Inclusion on the list comes with the explicit threat of lawsuits and federal funding halts. And border czar Tom Homan has previously promised to "flood" those jurisdictions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. In February, he said he would be "bringing hell" to Boston.
Several federal judges have blocked the administration's previous efforts to punish some of those jurisdictions, including Chicago and Portland, Oregon.
Earlier this year, the White House published and then almost immediately withdrew a significantly longer list after many communities on the list said they were erroneously included. In many of the jurisdictions included on the new list, including Boston, local leaders have argued that allowing police to partner with ICE discourages crime victims and witnesses from coming forward regardless of their immigration status.
In announcing the new list, which also includes both New York City and the state of New York, Chicago and San Francisco, the White House highlighted how Louisville, Kentucky, had agreed to end sanctuary policies while facing threat of a lawsuit.
What is a 'sanctuary jurisdiction'?
There's no specific legal definition of a sanctuary jurisdiction, but Bondi's office said it considered things like failure to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, providing government benefits to undocumented immigrants, or refusing to share immigration information about jail detainees.
Federal courts are currently weighing several lawsuits brought by the Trump administration against jurisdictions on the sanctuary list. A federal judge last month threw out the Trump administration's sanctuary jurisdiction lawsuit against Chicago and surrounding Cook County.
Is Boston a 'sanctuary city?'
Under the Trust Act, Boston city law enforcement officials are prohibited from cooperating with ICE to carry out civil warrants. The 2014 law makes many characterize Boston as a sanctuary city, though Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's administration doesn't use the term. Boston police officers work with immigration officials only on criminal warrants.
'Whenever someone commits a crime, whenever there's a criminal warrant, we hold them accountable,' Wu said during a March hearing in front of Congress. 'If ICE deems that they are dangerous enough to obtain a criminal warrant, we hold them accountable.'
During that hearing, Wu touted the city's safety record and pushed back against "the false narrative" that all immigrants are criminals.
'The false narrative is that immigrants in general are criminals, or immigrants in general cause all sorts of danger and harm, that is actually what is undermining safety in our communities,' Wu said.
Massachusetts was named on the original list of sanctuary states released in May, but it wasn't included this time. MA Gov. Maura Healey has said several times the Massachusetts isn't a sanctuary state.
Which communities have been described as immigrant 'sanctuaries'?
According to the Department of Justice, the following communities are offering "sanctuary" to immigrants who lack the legal right to be in this country.
United States Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the list could change as cities, counties or states changed policies in the future.
States:
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Illinois
Minnesota
Nevada
New York
Oregon
Rhode Island
Vermont
Washington
Counties:
Baltimore County, MD
Cook County, IL
San Diego County, CA
San Francisco County, CA
Cities:
Albuquerque, NM
Berkeley, CA
Boston, MA
Chicago, IL
Denver, CO
East Lansing, MI
Hoboken, NJ
Jersey City, NJ
Los Angeles, CA
New Orleans, LA
New York City, NY
Newark, NJ
Paterson, NJ
Philadelphia, PA
Portland, OR
Rochester, NY
Seattle, WA
San Francisco City, CA
Contributing: Melina Khan
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Vermont named sanctuary state by Trump administration over immigration
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
30 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Back in the Oval Office, Zelenskyy wears a blazer and Trump doesn't shout
WASHINGTON (AP) — It was only a few months ago that U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last met in the Oval Office, but Monday's face-to-face between the two leaders looked markedly different. For much of their February exchange, during which Trump and Vice President JD Vance blasted Zelenskyy as 'disrespectful' and warned about future American support for his country, Zelenskyy crossed his arms and looked askance at the U.S. leaders. The presidents often spoke over each other, also gesturing disagreement. A conservative reporter, Brian Glenn, even asked Zelenskyy why he wasn't wearing a suit. Monday's meeting was rounded out with more smiles and pleasantries between Trump and Zelenskyy, as well as agreement on some points regarding Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. Both men largely sat with their hands clasped in their laps, affably fielding questions from reporters. And Glenn, when called upon by the Republican U.S. president to speak, complimented Zelensky, saying, 'You look fabulous in that suit.' Trump chimed in right after: 'I said the same thing!'
CBS News
30 minutes ago
- CBS News
People seeking to clear their record of a criminal conviction can now do so online in Pa.
Pennsylvania recently launched an online application for pardons, becoming one of the first states in the country to digitize the process for people seeking to clear their record of criminal convictions. Thousands of people apply annually, seeking approval from the five-member Board of Pardons and the governor to wipe their records of criminal history that can block access to jobs, housing, and certain rights, such as serving on a jury or holding public office. Previously, people had to fill out the application on paper and mail it to the board alongside relevant documents. The process was onerous for applicants and Board of Pardons staff, officials said, especially in recent years as advocacy under former Lt. Gov. John Fetterman caused hundreds more people to apply annually. Even before the influx, a pardon candidate could wait years for their application to reach a decision. A digitization effort began under Fetterman, but stalled out by the time he and former Gov. Tom Wolf left office. Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience, renewed efforts to move the application online. The office is an in-house team of technology experts created in 2023 and tasked with making state government more easily accessible online. The online application is intended to give more people the opportunity to earn a pardon, said Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, as well as make processing those applications easier and more efficient for Board of Pardons staff. "We took the time to update and improve the process from soup to nuts, from adding a Spanish language form, which is something that we had been hearing, to using AI to help us process handwritten applications which were previously being retyped by staff members," Davis told Spotlight PA in an interview. More than 240 people have applied for a pardon online since the application launched. Here's what you need to know about the pardons process and the new online application: A pardon is forgiveness for a crime and is provided by the governor. If you earn a pardon for a criminal conviction, the state will automatically expunge it. After receiving a pardon, you can apply for a job, housing, or any other services and deny that you were ever convicted of the crime. A pardon also restores rights that may have been lost because of a criminal conviction. Anyone with a criminal conviction can apply for a pardon. People still serving a prison or parole sentence might have better luck applying for a commutation, which does not wipe their record of the crime, but instead shortens their sentence for it. Commutation applications still must be completed using the paper form. You can apply for a pardon at the Board of Pardons website. The Board of Pardons recommends gathering the documents you need before starting the application, as you cannot save the application after beginning it. Those documents include all court records associated with the cases, including the: 1. Criminal complaint 2. Affidavit of probable cause 3. Criminal information/indictment 4. Final plea or verdict 5. Sentencing order 6. Documentation of your financial obligation status The board adds: "If the court does not have these documents, they must provide a letter confirming they are unavailable. If you were sentenced by a Magisterial District Judge and your case is older than seven years, you are not required to get a letter." Applicants also must include a personal statement that explains why they want a pardon. The board encourages applicants to explain how their life has changed for the better since the crime and include any additional documents that can serve as evidence of positive change. The board also recommends paying outstanding fines and fees associated with your case. A paper application is still available for download here. If you cannot print the paper application at home, you can ask the Board of Pardons to mail you an application. To request an application, mail a document including your name, address and contact information to: Pennsylvania Board of Pardons555 Walnut StreetSuite 704Harrisburg, PA 17101 The Board of Pardons is working with the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience to design a way for pardon applicants to receive automatic updates. An exact timeline is not clear as of August, board spokesperson Kirstin Alvanitakis said. In the meantime, you or a designated representative can request updates from the Board of Pardons by emailing bopclemency@ or calling (717) 787-2596. Board staff will confirm the name and birthdate or social security number of the applicant, and aim to respond in 24 hours. The online application is available in 18 languages, including English and Spanish. The printable application is available in just two languages: English and Spanish. The printable PDF application includes more information about the pardons process and what type of clemency might be appropriate. You can access that at The Pennsylvania Pardon Project, a nonprofit based in Philadelphia, created a tip sheet and video guide to using the digital application. You can access those resources on their website, ___ This story was originally published by Spotlight PA and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
New York Times
30 minutes ago
- New York Times
Housing Agency to Offer Material Only in English, Official Says
The federal housing agency will no longer provide any material in languages other than English, a senior official told employees on Monday, as part of its efforts to carry out President Trump's executive order making English the country's official language. Putting the executive order in place will 'enhance social and economic integration,' the official, Andrew D. Hughes, the deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Department, wrote in a message to employees. But the order itself did not address whether agencies could provide materials or services in other languages. Critics have said the change could make it difficult for non-English speakers, including U.S. citizens, to access government services like affordable housing, health care and registering to vote. Mr. Hughes said the agency, known as HUD, would no longer have contracts for translation services for documents or communications. In addition, he said, all paper and online materials in languages other than English would be removed. 'We are one people, united, and we will speak with one voice and one language to deliver on our mission of expanding housing that is affordable,' Mr. Hughes wrote in the message. More than three-quarters of Americans speak only English at home, but there are some 42 million Spanish speakers and three million Chinese speakers in the country. Mr. Hughes said the department would continue providing services to people with visual and hearing impairments and follow other legal requirements. A labor union representing Housing and Urban Development employees said the steps outlined by Mr. Hughes violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which requires the federal government and organizations that receive federal funding to give 'meaningful access' to people who struggle with understanding English. 'For the people HUD serves, this is devastating,' Local 476 of the American Federation of Government Employees wrote on social media on Monday. 'Millions of tenants, applicants, & survivors of violence need language access. Denying it could shut people out of housing & services they're entitled to by law.' And by canceling translation contracts, the union said, the agency could be adding new job duties to employees. The Justice Department issued guidance on the executive order in July, telling agencies that the president's order rescinded limited English proficiency stipulations.
