Latest news with #SecondAmendmentSanctuaryCounty
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
States, sheriffs puzzle over Trump's error-filled list of immigration sanctuaries
Immigration officials, their backs turned to hide their identities, pose with an Australian citizen who faces possible deportation back to his home country. A list of "sanctuary" jurisdictions accused of failing to cooperate with immigration arrests, including the state of Colorado, was taken down after protests about its accuracy. (Photo by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) A list of 14 states, 298 counties and 200 cities deemed immigration sanctuaries by the Trump administration has disappeared from a government website but continues to hang over the heads of officials who face threats of losing federal funding. 'We were placed on a list with many other sheriffs across the nation for no clear reason and no clear cause,' said Sheriff Charles Blackwood of Orange County, North Carolina, a heavily Democratic county that nevertheless complies with a new state law requiring cooperation with immigration arrests. 'The list is gone. Am I satisfied that it was rectified? Yes. Am I satisfied that it's over? No,' Blackwood said. The list went up May 29. It called out the 'cities, counties, and states that are deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws and endangering American citizens.' The White House had already threatened 'suspension or termination' of federal funds to them. Along with counties and cities, the list named the whole states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia as 'state sanctuary' areas. We were placed on a list with many other sheriffs across the nation for no clear reason and no clear cause. – Sheriff Charles Blackwood of Orange County, N.C. There was immediate reaction from some areas, not only Democratic states and counties with court-tested legal policies of declining cooperation with deportation, but also conservative areas mystified by their inclusion. 'We figure it must be some kind of mix-up. We certainly support our fellow law enforcement agencies,' said James Davel, administrative coordinator for Shawano County, Wisconsin, which was included despite no apparent immigration sanctuary policy. The county voted for President Donald Trump in 2024 by more than 67%. One possible explanation: The county board passed a resolution in 2021 declaring Shawano a 'Second Amendment Sanctuary County' as a sign of 'vigorous support of the peoples' Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.' States are telling sheriffs whether they can — or can't — work with ICE The list disappeared from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website in a matter of days, after the National Sheriffs' Association complained that many counties were erroneously included. 'It was quite the debacle,' said sheriffs' association spokesperson Patrick Royal. 'We are working with the administration to resolve as much as we can.' But Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a television appearance that the list would come back and was largely accurate. 'That list is absolutely continuing to be used and it is going to be identifying those cities and those jurisdictions that aren't honoring law and justice,' Noem said in a Fox News interview June 1. Courts have so far upheld local laws that limit cooperation with federal immigration arrests. California won a lawsuit on the issue in 2017 under the first Trump administration, and the same federal judge issued an injunction saying federal funds couldn't be withheld on the basis of immigration cooperation during a new trial on the issue. The national sheriffs' association president, Sheriff Kieran Donahue of Canyon County, Idaho, said in a May 31 statement that the list 'was created without any input, criteria of compliance, or a mechanism for how to object to the designation.' He said it was 'an unfortunate and unnecessary erosion of unity and collaboration with law enforcement.' Canyon County was not on the list, though the city of Boise was. For-profit immigration detention expands as Trump accelerates his deportation plans The pushback from sheriffs was a sign of how seriously flawed the list was, said Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, an associate policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. 'The real problem is, how are they defining sanctuary?' Putzel-Kavanaugh said. 'To have pushback from an association that is typically quite supportive of this administration and their agenda points to problems with definition.' Watauga County, North Carolina, was on the list when it first appeared May 29 but came off before it was taken down. The county's congressional representative, Republican Virginia Foxx, said in a Facebook post that she intervened. In the post, Foxx called it 'a mistake … made during the Biden administration that resulted in Watauga County being listed incorrectly as a sanctuary county.' She also said that 'Watauga County is no longer listed' after she 'contacted DHS.' Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, a group favoring less immigration, said her list of sanctuary jurisdictions included Watauga based on a June 2024 report from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement listing it as among hundreds of others as 'non-cooperative institutions.' Even sanctuary policies can't stop ICE arrests Vaughan said data she requested from ICE shows some counties in North Carolina were still not complying with all detainers this year through early February, but Watauga is not one of them. 'They should probably come off the list,' she said. 'None of those sheriffs has contacted me about reviewing their policies or taking them off the map. I would be happy to do so, and have done so frequently with sheriffs in other states.' Sheriff Len Hagaman of Watauga County told Stateline via email that he had contacted federal immigration officials and confirmed that his county, which voted Democratic for president last year by a 52% to 46% margin, had a solid record of cooperating with immigration arrests. Hagaman alluded to an April Facebook post by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, calling out Watauga and eight other North Carolina counties as immigration sanctuaries. 'For several weeks now, I, along with other North Carolina sheriffs have had to endure gross and inaccurate misinformation regarding false allegations,' Hagaman wrote. Stateline reporter Tim Henderson can be reached at thenderson@ SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Trump's 'sanctuary jurisdictions' list that included Milwaukee disappears after outcry
The Trump administration removed a list of 'sanctuary' jurisdictions allegedly defying enforcement of federal immigration law after cricitism about its accuracy and blowback from a national law enforcement group. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security published the list May 29 and removed it from its website June 1, according to an internet archive. The Wisconsin jurisdictions accused of obstructing the law and in jeopardy of losing federal grants and contracts were the city of Milwaukee, city of Madison, Dane County and Shawano County. DHS officials did not respond to a request for comment June 3 on why the Wisconsin jurisdictions made the list, what prompted the list's removal and whether the jurisdictions' federal funding was no longer at risk of termination or suspension. More: Milwaukee, other Wisconsin 'sanctuary jurisdictions' listed as defying federal immigration law Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson blasted the administration's hasty approach, saying he had received no notification. A City Hall spokesperson said officials were meeting to evaluate options on whether to take issue with the designation. Milwaukee is not officially designated a sanctuary for immigrants, though some argue its policies and positions indirectly make it a sanctuary city. Shawano County Sheriff George Lenzner said on June 2 the county doesn't identify as a sanctuary jurisdiction and "remains committed to upholding federal immigration laws and policies." The County Board voted in 2021 to become a 'Second Amendment Sanctuary County' that opposed any attempts to enact "legislation unlawfully infringing on our rights under the Second Amendment," which may be where the misunderstanding stemmed. Nationally, other places pointed out that the list misspelled city names, misidentified counties as cities or vice versa, and included conservative communities with no sanctuary immigration policies. The National Sheriffs' Association released a statement saying sheriffs felt "betrayed" by the list. No political appointee for the administration could explain in a meeting with the association who compiled, proofed, and verified the list before publication. "DHS has done a terrible disservice to President Trump and the Sheriffs of this country," the statement said. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Sanctuary jurisdictions list by Trump's DHS vanishes after outcry
02-06-2025
- Politics
List of 'sanctuary jurisdictions' removed from US government website following criticism
WASHINGTON -- A widely anticipated list of ' sanctuary jurisdictions' no longer appears on the Department of Homeland Security's website after receiving widespread criticism for including localities that have actively supported the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies. The department last week published the list of the jurisdictions. It said each one would receive formal notification the government deemed them uncooperative with federal immigration enforcement and whether they're believed to be in violation of any federal criminal statutes. The list was published Thursday on the department's website but on Sunday there was a 'Page Not Found" error message in its place. The list was part of the Trump administration's efforts to target communities, states and jurisdictions that it says aren't doing enough to help its immigration enforcement agenda and the promises the president made to deport more than 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal authorization. The list is being constantly reviewed and can be changed at any time and will be updated regularly, a DHS senior official said. 'Designation of a sanctuary jurisdiction is based on the evaluation of numerous factors, including self-identification as a Sanctuary Jurisdiction, noncompliance with Federal law enforcement in enforcing immigration laws, restrictions on information sharing, and legal protections for illegal aliens,' the official said in a statement. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' that there had been anger from some officials about the list. However, she didn't address why it was removed. 'Some of the cities have pushed back,' Noem said. 'They think because they don't have one law or another on the books that they don't qualify, but they do qualify. They are giving sanctuary to criminals.' The list, which was riddled with misspellings, received pushback from officials in communities spanning from urban to rural and blue to red who said the list doesn't appear to make sense. In California, the city of Huntington Beach made the list even though it had filed a lawsuit challenging the state's immigration sanctuary law and passed a resolution this year declaring the community a 'non-sanctuary city.' Jim Davel, administrator for Shawano County, Wisconsin, said the inclusion of his community must have been a clerical error. Davel voted for Trump as did 67% of Shawano County. Davel thinks the administration may have confused the county's vote in 2021 to become a 'Second Amendment Sanctuary County' that prohibits gun control measures with it being a safe haven for immigrants. He said the county has approved no immigration sanctuary policies.
Chicago Tribune
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
List of ‘sanctuary jurisdictions' removed from US government website following criticism
WASHINGTON — A widely anticipated list of 'sanctuary jurisdictions' no longer appears on the Department of Homeland Security's website after receiving widespread criticism for including localities that have actively supported the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies. The department last week published the list of the jurisdictions. It said each one would receive formal notification the government deemed them uncooperative with federal immigration enforcement and whether they're believed to be in violation of any federal criminal statutes. The list was published Thursday on the department's website but on Sunday there was a 'Page Not Found' error message in its place. What is a 'sanctuary jurisdiction' and how was the US list of them made?The list was part of the Trump administration's efforts to target communities, states and jurisdictions that it says aren't doing enough to help its immigration enforcement agenda and the promises the president made to deport more than 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal authorization. The list is being constantly reviewed and can be changed at any time and will be updated regularly, a DHS senior official said. 'Designation of a sanctuary jurisdiction is based on the evaluation of numerous factors, including self-identification as a Sanctuary Jurisdiction, noncompliance with Federal law enforcement in enforcing immigration laws, restrictions on information sharing, and legal protections for illegal aliens,' the official said in a statement. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' that there had been anger from some officials about the list. However, she didn't address why it was removed. 'Some of the cities have pushed back,' Noem said. 'They think because they don't have one law or another on the books that they don't qualify, but they do qualify. They are giving sanctuary to criminals.' The list, which was riddled with misspellings, received pushback from officials in communities spanning from urban to rural and blue to red who said the list doesn't appear to make sense. In California, the city of Huntington Beach made the list even though it had filed a lawsuit challenging the state's immigration sanctuary law and passed a resolution this year declaring the community a 'non-sanctuary city.' Jim Davel, administrator for Shawano County, Wisconsin, said the inclusion of his community must have been a clerical error. Davel voted for Trump as did 67% of Shawano County. Davel thinks the administration may have confused the county's vote in 2021 to become a 'Second Amendment Sanctuary County' that prohibits gun control measures with it being a safe haven for immigrants. He said the county has approved no immigration sanctuary policies.
Hamilton Spectator
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
List of ‘sanctuary jurisdictions' removed from US government website following criticism
WASHINGTON (AP) — A widely anticipated list of ' sanctuary jurisdictions' no longer appears on the Department of Homeland Security's website after receiving widespread criticism for including localities that have actively supported the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies. The department last week published the list of the jurisdictions. It said each one would receive formal notification the government deemed them uncooperative with federal immigration enforcement and whether they're believed to be in violation of any federal criminal statutes. The list was published Thursday on the department's website but on Sunday there was a 'Page Not Found' error message in its place. The list was part of the Trump administration's efforts to target communities, states and jurisdictions that it says aren't doing enough to help its immigration enforcement agenda and the promises the president made to deport more than 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal authorization. The list is being constantly reviewed and can be changed at any time and will be updated regularly, a DHS senior official said. 'Designation of a sanctuary jurisdiction is based on the evaluation of numerous factors, including self-identification as a Sanctuary Jurisdiction, noncompliance with Federal law enforcement in enforcing immigration laws, restrictions on information sharing, and legal protections for illegal aliens,' the official said in a statement. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' that there had been anger from some officials about the list. However, she didn't address why it was removed. 'Some of the cities have pushed back,' Noem said. 'They think because they don't have one law or another on the books that they don't qualify, but they do qualify. They are giving sanctuary to criminals.' The list, which was riddled with misspellings, received pushback from officials in communities spanning from urban to rural and blue to red who said the list doesn't appear to make sense. In California, the city of Huntington Beach made the list even though it had filed a lawsuit challenging the state's immigration sanctuary law and passed a resolution this year declaring the community a 'non-sanctuary city.' Jim Davel, administrator for Shawano County, Wisconsin, said the inclusion of his community must have been a clerical error. Davel voted for Trump as did 67% of Shawano County. Davel thinks the administration may have confused the county's vote in 2021 to become a 'Second Amendment Sanctuary County' that prohibits gun control measures with it being a safe haven for immigrants. He said the county has approved no immigration sanctuary policies. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
