All articles tagged with #sanctuary policies
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is drafting a letter to private garage owners in New York City, asking them to refuse ICE agents' use of their lots for staging operations. The move follows the October 8 shooting of Oscar Belgal, which occurred near a private lot used by ICE. While the city’s sanctuary laws apply only to public property, Mamdani is seeking voluntary cooperation from the private sector to limit federal enforcement access.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that New York state and local jurisdictions have refused 16,070 ICE detainer requests since the current administration took office. These refusals involve individuals accused or convicted of 52,503 criminal charges, including 131 homicides and 1,017 sexual offenses. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin criticized New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani for sanctuary policies that release dangerous criminals. In response, Hochul’s office stated that New York complies with federal law by notifying authorities of non-citizens serving state prison sentences and that approximately 2,000 individuals have been transferred to federal custody. The dispute follows recent tensions, including the shooting of Oscar Belgal in the Bronx, which heightened federal-state conflicts over immigration enforcement.
Elizabeth Carter, a self-identified Democrat, testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee that she is ashamed of her party's immigration stance after her son and daughter-in-law were killed in a crash involving an undocumented truck driver. The hearing, titled 'The Continuing Tragedy of Sanctuary Laws,' focused on the safety implications of state laws restricting cooperation with federal immigration authorities. While Republicans argue these policies endanger lives, Democrats contend that mass deportation efforts divert resources from other public safety needs.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Ernesto Alejandro Perez-Garcia, a Mexican national, in Redondo Beach, California, on August 20, 2026. Perez-Garcia, who has a history of criminal convictions dating back to 2003, illegally re-entered the United States five times and attempted entry four additional times. During the arrest, he initially denied his identity but acknowledged it after agents presented a previous mugshot. He stated that alcohol use was the primary factor leading to his capture. ICE officials criticized local law enforcement for declining to honor detainer requests in 2020 and 2026, arguing that such sanctuary policies force federal agents to conduct risky public apprehensions. Perez-Garcia, who has children in the U.S., admitted to lying to agents to test if he could evade detection but accepted his arrest as fair given his circumstances.
A Minnesota federal judge quashed the Department of Justice’s January subpoenas of Gov. Walz, Attorney General Ellison, Mayor Frey and other officials tied to the Trump-era immigration crackdown, ruling the move was politically motivated, designed to coerce states with sanctuary policies, and violated the 10th Amendment since the DoJ offered no plausible investigative justification.
Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and Sheriff Stacey Kincaid testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee on sanctuary policies, defending their office’s immigration-related charging and detainer practices amid scrutiny from lawmakers. The hearing spotlighted concerns about leniency toward illegal-immigrant defendants, the handling of detainers in high-profile cases like Abdul Jalloh, and emails urging charges not to be dropped, while victims’ families pushed for accountability and policy changes to protect public safety.
ICE lodged an arrest detainer and pressed Illinois leaders to not release Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national accused of fatally shooting Loyola University student Sheridan Gorman in Chicago. Medina-Medina had previously been released into the U.S. after a May 2023 Border Patrol intake and again in June 2023 following a shoplifting arrest, prompting ICE to call on Governor Pritzker and sanctuary politicians to honor detainers and keep the suspect off the streets.
States are testing legal avenues to sue federal agents for civil rights violations during immigration enforcement, challenging the Trump administration's assertion of absolute immunity; Illinois has enacted the Bivens Act to permit suits in state courts, California proposes the No Kings Act to enable suits in federal cases, and Minnesota and other states are weighing similar remedies, while DOJ defends current immunity and public-safety priorities.
Democratic governors in states like Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Illinois are moving to curb federal immigration enforcement by banning or limiting local cooperation with ICE, creating oversight measures, and pursuing restrictions on civil deportations in sensitive locations, in response to violence concerns and shifting public opinion about Trump’s deportation agenda.
In Minneapolis, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that 16 people have been arrested for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement officers, under 18 U.S.C. § 111. Bondi framed the arrests as enforcing the law and urged Minnesota to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, including access to jails and voter rolls, while Gov. Walz’s office rejected the request for voter-roll data. This is a developing story.
Attorney General Pam Bondi urged Minnesota to share state voter rolls and public-assistance data with the federal government to aid immigration enforcement and end sanctuary policies, a request Minnesota officials called unlawful and coercive as tensions rise in Minneapolis over a federal crackdown.
The Washington Post Editorial Board argues that the DOJ’s move to subpoena Minnesota Governor Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Frey over their criticisms of the administration’s deportation efforts represents dangerous lawfare, while sanctuary policies are criticized as facilitating ICE’s reach into communities. The piece maintains that prosecuting elected officials for political speech would be misguided and stresses that law and order is a two-way street, with sanctuary policies, in their view, creating easy excuses for federal enforcement.
ICE has arrested dozens of dangerous criminal illegal aliens in Minnesota, including murderers and child rapists, despite local efforts by politicians and rioters to obstruct these operations and protect offenders under sanctuary policies.
The Department of Homeland Security launched 'Operation Catahoula Crunch' in New Orleans to target undocumented immigrants, including those with criminal records, amid local sanctuary policies and recent legal changes, sparking protests, legal challenges, and community concerns about civil rights and law enforcement tactics.
The Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Catahoula Crunch in New Orleans to target criminal illegal aliens released due to sanctuary policies, focusing on violent offenders and emphasizing efforts to restore law and order.