The White House Stands With California, Opposes Sanctuary Jurisdictions

Thank you for taking the time to express your views regarding sanctuary cities. Sanctuary cities refuse to cooperate with Federal immigration enforcement by declining to share information relating to potentially removable aliens and rejecting “detainer” requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Detainers are used to request that a State or local law enforcement agency hold a criminal alien in custody for up to 48 hours after their scheduled release on State charges to allow ICE to take custody of the alien and initiate removal proceedings. This dangerous and unlawful refusal to share information with Federal immigration officers or honor detainer requests threatens the safety of all Americans. Sanctuary policies endanger the safety of our communities by obstructing immigration enforcement actions that can prevent further crime. Too many families residing in sanctuary cities have suffered tremendously due to sanctuary policies, even to the point of losing loved ones at the hands of known criminal aliens who were released by State or local law enforcement. My Administration will continue to pursue strong immigration enforcement based on the rule of law, including standing up to sanctuary cities. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a legal action challenging three California laws that intentionally obstruct Federal immigration enforcement. I also signed an Executive Order that informed sanctuary cities that failure to abide by Federal immigration laws would jeopardize their access to certain Federal grant money. Additionally, the DOJ has laid out new guidelines requiring jurisdictions to cooperate with Federal immigration authorities in order to receive Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, a leading source of Federal law enforcement funding. Thank you again for writing. To learn more about the actions my Administration is taking to enforce our Nation’s immigration laws, please visit WhiteHouse.gov/Immigration. As President, I will continue to fulfill my constitutional duty to faithfully execute the immigration laws of our Nation. Sincerely, Privacy Policy | Contact the White House