In summary
The Department of Homeland Security released its latest tally of cities, counties, and states that it considers to be sanctuary jurisdictions. California made the cut.
We already knew as much, but now it’s official: the state of California is on President Trump’s troublemaker’s list.
Today, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released its weekly tally of cities, counties, and states that have declined to turn over incarcerated undocumented immigrants to federal authorities. The federally designated scofflaw list for the first full week of February not only includes the Golden State, but 36 of the its 58 counties.
In an executive order issued in the first week of his presidency, President Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security to compile and publish a list each week of all jurisdictions that have “ignored or otherwise failed to honor” requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain suspected undocumented immigrants.
Unlike the first of these “Declined Detainer Outcome Reports,” which was issued earlier last month, California made the cut this time around. Why? The report points to the state’s Trust Act, a 2013 law that prohibits state and local law enforcement officers from keeping non-felons in custody solely at the request of ICE.
The weekly report also includes a national list of the 47 individuals who were released from detention facilities despite hold requests from ICE. Of these, eight were released from California facilities. Their “notable criminal activities” include domestic violence, assault, and drug possession.
In his executive order, the president explained that the weekly list was meant to “inform the public regarding the public safety threats associated with sanctuary jurisdictions.”