Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Do 'sanctuary' policies and laws block all immigration enforcement?
Sunday, November 1, 2020
By Jacqueline Agustin
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NO
Local "sanctuary" policies don't prevent federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents from acting inside the states, counties or cities that have adopted them.
Under the policies, some jurisdictions have directed their law-enforcement authorities to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The polices vary in extent and details, but have become more widespread as the Trump administration has sought to tighten U.S. immigration, asylum and refugee rules.
Immigrants not legally authorized to be in the U.S. are under federal law "removable aliens" and subject to deportation. In jurisdictions that do cooperate, local authorities may alert ICE to the detention for other reasons of someone also in violation of immigration law.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
National Conference of State Legislatures Sanctuary policy FAQ
Center for Immigration Studies Map of sanctuary cities, counties and states
Federation for American Immigration Reform State sanctuary policies
US House of Representatives US Code on aliens and nationality, part IV—Inspection, apprehension, examination, exclusion and removal
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Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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