Urbana, St. Joe appeared on DHS list of ‘sanctuary jurisdictions'
ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Last week, a list of 'sanctuary jurisdictions' was issued by the Department of Homeland Security. Since then, the list no longer appears on the DHS's website, but jurisdictions that appeared on the list have different opinions about what it could mean for their community.
The list, which named cities, counties, and states all throughout the United States, identified areas that are interfering with government deportations, according to the Trump Administration. This came after Executive Order 14287 was signed April 28, calling for a list of states and local jurisdictions that 'obstruct the enforcement of Federal immigration laws.'
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Per the EO, each jurisdiction would be notified of their 'defiance of Federal immigration law enforcement and any potential violations of Federal criminal law.' The list was also meant to be used by the Office of Management and Budget to identify federal funds in the sanctuary jurisdictions that may be suspended or terminated.
The list was published May 29, but as of May 31, a 'Page Not Found' message appeared instead. While the list was only publicly up on the DHS' website for a short time, Illinois cities and counties that were named took notice.
Seven cities in Illinois appeared on the list, including Urbana and St. Joseph.
WCIA reached out to both Urbana's Mayor, DeShawn Williams, and St. Joseph's Mayor, Jim Page.
Williams said Urbana has been a Sanctuary City for nearly 40 years –and they don't plan on changing that.
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'Urbana will not be bullied. We have been a Sanctuary City since 1986, and we reaffirmed that commitment in 2016 because we believe in human dignity, community safety, and equal protection for everyone who calls Urbana home,' Williams said in a statement sent to WCIA. 'When cities like ours face federal threats or funding pressure for standing by these values, it's not just a matter of policy —it's a matter of principle and moral responsibility.'
Page did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
WCIA's sister station WGN reported that six of Illinois' 102 counties were included on the DHS' list.
Effingham County was among the 102 counties named. Joshua Douthit, Board Chairman of Effingham County, shared a statement in response to the DHS placing Effingham County on the list of 'Sanctuary Jurisdictions.'
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'Effingham County remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the safety and security of our residents. While recent DHS reports have categorized our county as a 'sanctuary jurisdiction,' we want to unequivocally affirm that Effingham County supports legal immigration and fully endorses the federal enforcement efforts of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency,' Douthit said.
Douthit added that the county made it clear that they are not a sanctuary county by adopting resolution 24-13, and said they will not spend tax dollars on the 'immigration crisis.'
'Effingham County welcomes those who seek to enter and remain in the United States through legal means and values the contributions of immigrants who comply with the laws governing our nation. We will continue to follow all legal guidelines regarding our ability to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration issues in the interest of public safety, legal integrity, and the well-being of our residents,' Douthit said.
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WCIA reached out to the DHS to find out how each city or county was chosen for the list, what appearing on the list might mean for those whose names were originally included, and why the list was removed. The DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Other counties included in the list:
Adams County
Alexander County
Bond County
Boone County
Bureau County
Calhoun County
Carroll County
Cass County
Champaign County
Christian County
Clark County
Clay County
Clinton County
Coles County
Cook County
Crawford County
Cumberland County
DeKalb County
De Witt County
Douglas County
DuPage County
Edgar County
Effingham County
Fayette County
Ford County
Franklin County
Fulton County
Gallatin County
Greene County
Grundy County
Hancock County
Hardin County
Henderson County
Henry County
Iroquois County
Jackson County
Jersey County
Jo Daviess County
Johnson County
Kane County
Kankakee County
Kendall County
Knox County
Lake County
LaSalle County
Lawrence County
Lee County
Livingston County
Logan County
Macon County
Macoupin County
Madison County
Marion County
Marshall County
Mason County
Massac County
McDonough County
McLean County
Mercer County
Menard County
Monroe County
Montgomery County
Morgan County
Moultrie County
Ogle County
Peoria County
Perry County
Piatt County
Pike County
Pope County
Pulaski County
Putnam County
Randolph County
Richland County
Rock Island County
St. Clair County
Saline County
Sangamon County
Schuyler County
Scott County
Shelby County
Stark County
Stephenson County
Tazewell County
Union County
Vermilion County
Wabash County
Warren County
Washington County
Wayne County
White County
Whiteside County
Will County
Williamson County
Winnebago County
Woodford County
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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A recent survey found nearly half of Americans believe the administration's deportation polices have 'gone too far'. If Republicans lose the House in next year's midterms, Noem's leadership of DHS would likely face much tougher congressional scrutiny. One Democrat, the representative Delia Ramirez, has already called for Noem's resignation. 'The theatrics of terror and erosion of our constitutional rights are daily DHS violations under Secretary Noem,' Ramirez, who sits on the House homeland security committee, said. Yet the secretary, now firmly re-established at the center of Trump's orbit, appears undeterred. Her embrace of the spotlight – and unflinching execution of Trump's vision – has some wondering whether she's looking even farther ahead, perhaps to 2028, where the battle to become Trump's heir is already taking shape. 'Past secretaries of DHS have wanted to be, not seen, but heard,' Rosenzweig said. 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