The recent death of a 32-year-old California woman by a five-times-deported illegal-alien felon has drawn attention to the impact of the Obama administration's dismantling of immigration enforcement. The Center for Immigration Studies has published a map showing the more than 200 cities, counties and states across the United States which are considered sanctuary cities. These are jurisdictions where the protection of illegal aliens, even criminal illegal aliens, from lawful deportation is placed above the safety of American citizens.
These state and local jurisdictions have policies, laws, executive orders, or regulations allowing them to avoid cooperating with federal immigration law enforcement authorities. These “cities” ignore federal law authorizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to administratively deport illegal aliens without seeking criminal warrants or convictions from federal, state, or local courts. Although federal law requires the cooperation, the Department of Justice has never sued or taken any measure, including denying federal funds, against a jurisdiction. On the contrary, the present administration has made it difficult for the states and localities which choose to aid in enforcing immigration laws. Federal law was labeled voluntary by the administration in a November 2014 policy memorandum signed by the Homeland Security Secretary.
View the map of sanctuary cities.
CAIRCO Research
Sanctuary Cities in Colorado and the Sanctuary City of Denver