Trump administration targets California ‘sanctuary' cities, counties
The Department of Homeland Security has labeled over 500 cities and counties, many of them in California, as 'sanctuary jurisdictions,' escalating the conflict between the federal government and local leaders over immigration enforcement.
The list, which was published on Thursday, places these communities on notice, demanding they 'immediately' revise their policies to align with President Donald Trump's mass deportation policy.
'Sanctuary cities protect dangerous criminal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in peril,' DHS stated.
The designations are based on a variety of factors, including whether a municipality cooperates with federal immigration officials, places restrictions on information sharing and offers legal protections to undocumented immigrants.
Dozens of cities and counties in California appear on the list, including major metropolitan areas and smaller communities.
The California counties include Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Bernardino, Ventura and others. Cities include Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Long Beach, Malibu, Culver City and Huntington Beach (see the full list below).
'These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens,' DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a press release.
In November 2024, immediately following Trump's election, the L.A. City Council unanimously passed an ordinance explicitly prohibiting the direct or indirect sharing of data with federal immigration authorities.
'Immigrants make up the very fabric of Los Angeles, and they deserve to feel safe and protected in the city they call home, no matter who is in power,' said Councilmember Nithya Raman, whose family moved to the U.S. from India when she was 6 years old.
Local governments also argue that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and that local resources are better used addressing local crime.
ICE planning 'large scale' crackdown in L.A., leaked memo says
'This is simply the latest attempt by the Trump administration to strong-arm cities like Seattle into changing our local policies through bluster and threats to critical federal funding for public safety and homelessness,' Bruce Harrell, the city's mayor, told the Associated Press in an email. 'It's not going to work — the law is on our side — and we will not hesitate to protect our people and stand up for our values.'
The list was published as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to follow through on the president's campaign promises to remove millions of people who are in the country illegally. It came out as Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced major leadership changes, and after a White House official said the administration wanted to drive daily immigration arrests significantly higher.
California counties on the 'Sanctuary Jurisdiction' list:
Alameda County
Amador County
Butte County
Calaveras County
Colusa County
Del Norte County
El Dorado County
Glenn County
Humboldt County
Imperial County
Lake County
Lassen County
Los Angeles County
Madera County
Mariposa County
Mendocino County
Merced County
Modoc County
Mono County
Monterey County
Nevada County
Plumas County
Riverside County
Sacramento County
San Benito County
San Bernardino County
San Francisco County
San Joaquin County
San Luis Obispo County
San Mateo County
Santa Barbara County
Santa Clara County
Santa Cruz County
San Diego County
Shasta County
Sierra County
Siskiyou County
Solano County
Sonoma County
Stanislaus County
Sutter County
Tehama County
Tuolumne County
Trinity County
Tulare County
Ventura County
Yolo County
Yuba County
California cities on the 'Sanctuary Jurisdiction' list:
Alameda
Albany
Arcata
Baldwin Park
Belmont
Benicia
Berkeley
Calipatria
Cathedral City
Chula Vista
City of San Rafael
Coachella
Concord
Culver City
Davis
El Cerrito
Emeryville
Eureka
Fort Bragg
Fremont
Fresno
Hayward
Healdsburg
Huntington Beach
Huron
Imperial
La Puente
Long Beach
Los Angeles
Madera
Malibu
Martinez
Maywood
Menlo Park
Mountain View
Newark
Oakland
Pacifica
Palm Springs
Pasadena
Petaluma
Pleasanton
Represa
Richmond
Sacramento
Salinas
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose
San Leandro
San Luis Obispo
San Pablo
Santa Cruz
Santa Rosa
Santee
Soledad
Stockton
Union City
Ventura
Vista
Watsonville
West Hollywood
Williams
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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