The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has abruptly removed its controversial list of "sanctuary jurisdictions" from its official website, just days after publishing it. The list, which named over 500 cities, counties, and states across 35 states and the District of Columbia, sparked immediate backlash and confusion among local officials and law enforcement agencies.
DHS had described the list as a comprehensive inventory of jurisdictions allegedly obstructing federal immigration enforcement and potentially violating federal law. Each named locality was set to receive formal notice of its alleged noncompliance The move was part of the Trump administration’s broader push to pressure local governments to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and increase deportations.
However, the list quickly drew criticism for its lack of transparency and accuracy. Many mayors, sheriffs, and community leaders expressed confusion about why their jurisdictions were included, with some areas reportedly supporting federal immigration efforts rather than opposing them The National Sheriffs' Association publicly condemned the list, calling its criteria arbitrary and warning that it undermined trust between law enforcement and the federal government.
By Sunday, the DHS webpage displaying the list was replaced with a "Page Not Found" error. DHS officials stated that the list is "under continuous review and may be altered at any moment," but did not provide specifics on why it was removed or how the jurisdictions were selected Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged pushback from officials but did not clarify the agency’s next steps.
The sudden removal leaves questions about how sanctuary jurisdictions are defined and what criteria DHS will use moving forward. For now, the fate of the list—and the administration’s next move—remains uncertain.
