Tag: sanctuary cities

Sanctuary Jurisdictions Must Comply Or Face More ICE Boots On The Ground: Homan

Sanctuary jurisdictions in the United States will see more Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel on the ground if they do not allow local law enforcement to cooperate with ICE officers, border czar Tom Homan said in a May 15 interview with the Daily Signal.

In the interview, Homan was specifically asked about New York. In January, the state’s governor, Kathy Hochul, proposed the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which bars state and local law enforcement agencies from signing or maintaining any Section 287(g) agreements with ICE.

Such agreements authorize ICE to delegate certain immigration functions to local and state officers under the agency’s oversight. Local and state officers can detain suspected illegal immigrants under the deal.

If passed, the New York bill would void all existing Section 287(g) agreements in the state. Homan said in the interview that he had talked to Hochul about the consequences.

“I said, Look, you end cooperation in the jails, we’re going to have to send more agents to do the job, because now, rather than one agent arresting one bad guy in the jail, which is safer for the agent, safer for the alien, safer for the community, of course, you’re going to release him. Now we got to send a whole team, six or seven agents, to go find him. So, it’s going to result in more agents in the community,” Homan said.

“Totally briefed on the whole thing, but she decided to go ahead and do it anyways. Well, I made a statement that we’re going to send more agents to New York. We have to, as a response to this, go arrest those public safety threats.”

When asked whether any sanctuary jurisdiction that doesn’t cooperate with ICE would face more ICE personnel on the ground, Homan replied, “Absolutely.”

The border czar said that he warned Hochul that there would be more collateral arrests if that’s the situation. For instance, if ICE were to arrest a criminal illegal alien, and the individual was with another illegal immigrant, then the second individual would be arrested as well.

Plus, Hochul’s legislation bans ICE from leasing beds from sheriffs in the state, due to which every illegal immigrant arrested has to be flown out of state for detainment. So, if New York locks ICE out of local jails for detaining illegals, “then we’ll simply fly them out,” Homan said.

Earlier this month, Hochul announced that an agreement had been reached with legislative leaders on the key priorities of the fiscal year 2027 state budget, including a provision banning state, local, and federal officials from wearing masks while on duty.

“Good luck with the law of banning masks. Federal law always trumps state and local law. And while threats are up over 8,000 percent, masks is a non-starter, so good luck enforcing that,” Homan said, regarding that provision.

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Southern California Police Urge Homeowners to Search Their Yards for Hidden Cameras Planted by Illegal Alien Burglary Rings, Thanks to Gavin Newsom’s Sanctuary State Policies

Southern California residents are being urged to physically inspect their property after the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that organized burglary crews, many tied to illegal South American theft rings, are planting hidden cameras in bushes, flower beds, planters, and landscaping to scout and monitor targeted homes before striking.

The alarming announcement comes after deputies responding to a residential burglary in San Dimas discovered concealed surveillance devices that were actively feeding live video to criminals.

On Tuesday, San Dimas Sheriff’s Station deputies were called to a home break-in.

While investigating, they located a small camera hidden deep in the bushes directly across from the victim’s residence.

The device was wired to a portable hotspot and an external battery pack, allowing the burglars to remotely watch the home in real time.

Approximately one week earlier, a landscaper working in the same neighborhood found a second identical device concealed in hedges he was trimming.

Both cameras were camouflaged with artificial plants, green tape, and surrounding foliage to blend seamlessly into the yard.

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DOJ Sues New Mexico and Albuquerque Over Laws Blocking Federal Immigration Enforcement

The United States has filed a complaint and motion for preliminary injunction against the State of New Mexico, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, the City of Albuquerque, and Albuquerque Mayor Timothy Keller, alleging that the implementation of House Bill 9 (HB9), entitled the “Immigrant Safety Act,” and Albuquerque City Ordinance O-26-15, entitled the “Safer Community Places Ordinance (SCPO),” infringes on federal immigration enforcement authority.

Through HB9, the State of New Mexico is trying to abolish decades of long-standing, voluntary partnerships between local governments and federal authorities that are essential for enforcing immigration laws and keeping the federal immigration system running as Congress intended.

“New Mexico is attempting to regulate immigration policy, something the federal government is clearly and uniquely empowered by the Constitution to do,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Our filings seek to halt the state’s unconstitutional actions by preserving cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement and allowing federal immigration officials to enforce the law.”

Both HB9 and the SCPO seek to block federal agents from using any local government property to carry out their work. Additionally, by unlawfully requiring private businesses to tip off illegal aliens about immigration enforcement activities, the SCPO attempts to harbor and shield illegal aliens from detection by federal immigration authorities and poses an obstacle to the enforcement of federal immigration law.

“The State of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque seek to intentionally obstruct federal law enforcement by preventing cooperation between local governments and the federal government,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “HB9 and the SCPO unlawfully interfere with federal immigration enforcement, illegally discriminate against federal operations, and violate constitutional protections regarding contracts and federal supremacy. Additionally, by barring public entities from participating in federal immigration detention in New Mexico, HB9 jeopardizes nearly 300 jobs and the economy of Otero County. Our lawsuit asks the court to declare these laws invalid and issue an immediate injunction to stop them from being enforced.”

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ICE Nabs Illegal Alien Pedophile In Virginia; Sanctuary Officials Ignored Detainer

ICE has arrested an illegal alien child sex predator in Abigail Spanberger’s Virginia. Authorities there tried to protect him by declining an ICE detainer last year and releasing him back into the community.

Of course they did.

The suspect, Roni Mendez-Escobar, a Guatemalan national, faced charges including multiple felony counts of possession of obscene material and child pornography with intent to distribute.

Fairfax County’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement allowed him to remain free despite the detainer – exactly the outcome sanctuary policies are designed to produce.

This isn’t an isolated failure. It’s the predictable result of Virginia Democrats turning the state into a magnet for criminal illegal aliens while American families bear the cost. Spanberger ran as a “moderate,” yet her administration’s moves to limit cooperation with ICE have repeatedly put Virginia children and residents at risk.

Just weeks ago, ICE urged Spanberger not to release another criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, Misael Lopez Gomez, who allegedly bludgeoned his own three-month-old daughter to death with blunt force trauma in Fairfax.

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DOJ Sues Connecticut, City of New Haven Over Sanctuary Policies

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Connecticut and the City of New Haven on April 13 over policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

The DOJ challenged Connecticut’s Trust Act and an executive order issued by New Haven’s mayor, arguing that they conflicted with federal immigration law and the Constitution. Specifically, the DOJ alleged violations of the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which says federal law takes precedence over state and local laws.

“For years, Connecticut communities have paid the price of these misguided sanctuary policies,” Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the DOJ’s Civil Division said in an emailed statement. “This lawsuit seeks to end such open defiance of federal law.”

The department named Connecticut, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Connecticut Attorney General Tong, the City of New Haven, and New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker as defendants.

The Trust Act, which was amended in 2025, limits when law enforcement officers can detain individuals based on civil immigration detainers. It directs officers not to hold someone solely on such a detainer unless certain conditions are met, such as the existence of a judicial warrant or a prior conviction for specific serious offenses, including certain crimes including murder, manslaughter, burglary, or sexual assault. The law also applies in cases where an individual has been flagged in federal security databases.

That has hindered cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities in enforcing immigration laws, the DOJ argued.The DOJ also stated that the law prohibits law enforcement officers from using resources to communicate with federal immigration authorities regarding the custody or release of an individual targeted by a civil immigration detainer.

The law also forbids law enforcement officers from arresting or detaining an individual based on an administrative warrant, according to the lawsuit.

Another issue that the DOJ raised was a 2020 executive order issued by New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker. That order limited the disclosure of personal information—including immigration status—without an individual’s consent and restricts local officials from inquiring about a person’s immigration status in most situations. The DOJ claimed those provisions obstruct federal enforcement efforts.Connecticut and New Haven’s sanctuary policies “threaten and harm the United States’ sovereign interest in the supremacy and enforcement of federal law,” especially the Immigration and Nationality Act, according to the Justice Department.

The lawsuit stated that the sanctuary policies are “an active and deliberate effort to obstruct federal immigration enforcement by, among other things, impeding the communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, and the safe apprehension and detention of [those] unlawfully present.”

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New Homeland Security Secretary Cracks Down on Sanctuary Cities

What we are now witnessing with sanctuary cities is not simply a political disagreement, it is the breakdown of the rule of law at the structural level. The federal government is now openly questioning whether it should continue providing core services, including customs processing at international airports, to cities that refuse to comply with federal immigration law.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has made that position clear in direct terms, stating, “If they are a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city?” and further pressing the issue by pointing out the contradiction, “If they’re a sanctuary city and they’re receiving international flights… but once they walk out of the airport, they’re not going to enforce immigration policy?”

Sanctuary cities are, by definition, jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal enforcement, effectively creating a dual system of governance within the same country. Once you reach that point, you are no longer dealing with a unified legal framework, you are dealing with fragmentation.

Mullin has also made it clear that the federal government is being forced into difficult decisions, stating that “we’re going to have to start prioritizing things at some point” as funding battles intensify. That statement is critical because it signals a shift from negotiation to enforcement.

This is precisely the type of breakdown that unfolds during periods of broader systemic stress. The sovereign debt crisis, rising geopolitical tensions, and internal political divisions are all converging at the same time, and governments respond to that pressure by attempting to reassert control.

Sanctuary cities represent a direct challenge to that control, and the response is now escalating accordingly. The implications extend far beyond immigration because once the federal government begins selectively withdrawing services, whether it is funding, enforcement, or infrastructure support, it creates a chain reaction. Major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco are not isolated municipalities, they are economic hubs that handle millions of international travelers and billions in trade. Any disruption to customs operations alone would ripple through tourism, supply chains, and business activity, amplifying economic pressure at a time when the system is already under strain.

This is where the situation becomes dangerous because it introduces a new layer of uncertainty into the economy. Businesses and capital do not respond well to fragmented legal systems or political conflict between levels of government. Capital flows toward stability, and when stability is questioned, it begins to move. That is the core principle that has driven every major financial shift throughout history.

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Trump’s New DHS Head off to Blistering Start, Considers Crippling Sanctuary Cities’ International Airports

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin may take action against “sanctuary cities” that subvert federal immigration laws by removing customs agents at their international airports.

The move would crush the tourist economies of sanctuary cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco by rendering them incapable of processing international travelers.

Mullin floated the idea Monday during an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier.

“I believe sanctuary cities — it’s not lawful,” the DHS boss said. “This one area we may take a hard look at is … some of these cities have international airports. If they’re a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city?

“If they’re a sanctuary city and they’re receiving international flights, and we’re asking them to partner with us at the airport, but once they walk out of the airport, they’re not going to enforce immigration policy — maybe we need to have a really hard look at that,” Mullin continued.

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Illinois Cop Fired Over Trying to Help ICE with Social Media Post 

The city of Elgin, Illinois, has terminated a police officer following an internal investigation into a social media post that referenced federal immigration enforcement.

City officials announced that Officer Jason Lentz was fired after an independent review determined he engaged in misconduct tied to a post made in October.

Lentz had been placed on administrative leave after Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley became aware of the post and initiated an investigation.

According to the city, the post included a reference to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and listed locations where the officer sarcastically suggested agents should not conduct enforcement.

The message read, “If I were ICE, I wouldn’t check…” followed by a series of locations.

Lentz included comments alongside each suggestion, such as “definitely none there” and “there’s no way you’d find any there.”

The post also tagged the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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Over 60% on Welfare: Sanctuary States Quietly Turn Illegal Aliens Into a Permanent Dependent Class

Jessica Vaughan, director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said policies adopted by sanctuary states can attract illegal immigration and place financial burdens on taxpayers through expanded access to public assistance programs.

Vaughan discussed how certain state policies provide benefits to individuals living in the country illegally, arguing that these programs increase government spending and encourage illegal settlement in those states.

“Sanctuary states typically have other policies that attract illegal settlement and thus burden taxpayers with support of illegal immigrants,” Vaughan said.

She said that beyond providing emergency medical care and public education, some sanctuary states extend additional benefits funded by taxpayers.

“Besides funding emergency health care and schooling for all, a number of sanctuary states go farther and choose to provide Medicaid, subsidized health insurance, nutrition assistance, housing and much more,” Vaughan said.

According to Vaughan, those programs are used frequently by households headed by individuals living in the country illegally.

“Illegal immigrants use these welfare programs in large numbers,” Vaughan said.

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U.S. Senate Moves Toward Criminalizing Sanctuary City Mayors and Governors Who Defy Federal Immigration Law

The United States Senate is finally moving to hold rogue mayors and governors personally accountable for their defiance of federal immigration law.

For years, these “sanctuary” politicians have shielded criminal aliens, obstructed ICE agents, and turned American communities into high-risk zones, all while demanding taxpayer-funded bailouts to clean up the mess they created.

Senate Republicans, led by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO), introduced powerhouse legislative packages designed to strip the “sanctuary” label of its power.

The End Sanctuary Cities Act of 2026 introduced by Graham doesn’t just cut off funding; it carries a hammer.

Under the proposed legislation, state and local officials who willfully obstruct federal immigration enforcement or refuse to comply with DHS detainer requests could face:

  • Up to five years behind bars for officials who “impede, inhibit, or stymie” federal agents.
  • Stripping the “qualified immunity” that has protected these politicians from lawsuits filed by victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens.
  • A complete cutoff of federal grants, including transportation and infrastructure funds, for any jurisdiction that refuses to share information with ICE.

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