Skip to content

Wednesday, May. 21, 2025

Does Nevada identify as a sanctuary state?

Isabella Aldrete, The Nevada Independent
no

Republican and Democratic state officials alike say Nevada is not a sanctuary state. 

Governor Joe Lombardo’s office told The Nevada Independent in a statement that “Nevada is not a sanctuary state or jurisdiction,” while Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford has said “I do not support sanctuary policies.”

Neither Las Vegas nor Reno identify as sanctuary cities. 

The term “sanctuary state” has no legal definition, according to the Congressional Research Service, but it generally refers to states that have policies that block officials from asking about immigration status or curtail the ability of police to make arrests for federal civil immigration violations. 

Major think tanks do not categorize Nevada as a sanctuary state. Some of the most conservative immigration groups, such as the Center for Immigration Studies, have agreed that neither Nevada nor any of its jurisdictions qualify as having “sanctuary” policies.  

See a full discussion of this at The Nevada Independent

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

See all fact briefs

The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.

Learn More

Latest Fact Briefs

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.