3 days ago
Trump 'sanctuary jurisdictions' list; Wisconsin communities named
The Brief
The Trump administration released a new list of what it calls "sanctuary jurisdictions."
Two Wisconsin cities and two Wisconsin counties were named.
The administration claims the communities are not complying with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
MILWAUKEE - The Trump administration has released a new list of what it calls "sanctuary jurisdictions," which it claims are not complying with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Here's which Wisconsin communities were named.
Local perspective
More than 500 communities across the U.S. were put on the "sanctuary jurisdictions" list that was released this week. In Wisconsin, those jurisdictions include the cities of Milwaukee and Madison as well as Dane and Shawano counties.
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Dig deeper
Among the most confusing aspects of the list: several jurisdictions with no known sanctuary policies were included.
Shawano County, for instance, believes it may have been added by mistake. County administrator Jim Davel said the only policy vote in recent years was to become a "Second Amendment Sanctuary County" opposing gun control laws – unrelated to immigration.
Other unexpected names include Alexandria, Virginia, and Huntington Beach, California – both communities with histories of cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
What they're saying
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the list was created using several factors, including whether a jurisdiction self-identifies as a sanctuary, limits information-sharing with ICE, or offers legal protections to undocumented immigrants. DHS said the list will be updated regularly.
There's no legal definition for the term. Generally, it refers to a city, county, or state that limits local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, particularly ICE.
The concept has historical roots in the "sanctuary movement" of the 1980s, when religious institutions sheltered Central American refugees fleeing civil wars. Today, many cities adopt these policies to promote public safety, arguing that undocumented residents are more likely to report crimes if they don't fear deportation.
Dig deeper
César García Hernández, a law professor at Ohio State University, said the practice has evolved but continues to reflect a divide between local and federal priorities. "There was no legal guarantee of immunity," he said, "but there was policy."
But critics say the methodology is unclear.
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Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports stricter immigration enforcement, said the lack of documentation undermines the list's credibility.
"That's one thing that I feel is missing from the list – some documentation as to why they're appearing on the list," she said.
Nithya Nathan-Pineau, an attorney with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, called the list arbitrary: "It seems quite arbitrary because not all of these states or specific jurisdictions have a policy that limits cooperation with ICE."
The Source
Information in this story is from the Associated Press and LiveNOW from FOX, including insights from the Center for Immigration Studies, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and Ohio State University.
