US Justice Department targets 35 ‘sanctuary' jurisdictions with lawsuits and funding threats
The list names 12 states, including California, New York, and Illinois, plus Washington D.C., 4 counties, and 19 cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston . This replaces a much larger list from May that included over 500 locations but was pulled after just three days due to errors and protests from mislabeled areas.
Attorney General Pam Bondi warned these policies "impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk," vowing to continue lawsuits against them. The move follows President Trump's April executive order cracking down on resistance to deportation efforts.
Sanctuary jurisdictions earn the label by restricting help to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), like refusing jail detainer requests, limiting information sharing about detainees' immigration status, or using local funds to aid immigrants.
For example, Philadelphia and Montgomery County only honor ICE detainers with a judge's warrant, arguing holding people longer illegally risks lawsuits . The DOJ's list targets nine specific "defiance" factors, including training staff to avoid ICE cooperation and creating offices to help immigrants evade federal agents.
Bondi's approach is more precise than Homeland Security's earlier botched list, which even included Trump-supporting rural counties that call themselves 'non-sanctuaries'.
Despite the threats, the DOJ faces legal roadblocks. A federal judge in Illinois recently tossed a lawsuit against Chicago, ruling that the 10th Amendment lets cities refuse to enforce federal immigration laws.
"If the state cannot control whether their employees share information, they cannot affirmatively opt out," wrote Judge Lindsay Jenkins, a Biden appointee . The administration has sued New York City, Los Angeles, Denver, Rochester, and four New Jersey cities since April.
Meanwhile, some areas like Louisville and North Carolina have reversed sanctuary policies, while Florida and Texas now push local agencies to assist ICE.
Local leaders pushed back strongly. Philadelphia officials insist they've received "no formal notification" of violations and are "confident" they follow federal law . Mayor Cherelle Parker avoids the term "sanctuary," calling it a 'welcoming city', a shift from her predecessor's confrontational style.
Three Pennsylvania counties near Philly celebrated their removal from the list, with Chester County's Republican commissioner calling it proof they 'respect the rule of law".
With funding cuts threatened but court challenges mounting, the battle pits federal deportation goals against local claims of safety and constitutional rights.
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