The Trump administration successfully pressed Nevada to work more closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal immigration authorities.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Monday that Nevada law enforcement has committed to cooperating with ICE to remove criminal illegal migrants in the state and would be removed from the Trump administration’s list of sanctuary jurisdictions. The declaration marks just the latest instance of a locality agreeing to better cooperate with federal immigration authorities amid mounting pressure from the White House.
“When others cower, real leaders step up,” Noem said on X. “I applaud the Nevada Sheriffs’ & Chiefs’ Association and Governor Joseph Lombardo for their commitment to working with ICE to protect American citizens from dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”
“Because of their efforts, Nevada has been removed from the Trump Administration’s sanctuary jurisdiction list,” the DHS secretary continued. “I encourage every leader across our nation to follow their example so that all Americans can live in peace and safety.”
Noem shared a letter from the Nevada Sheriffs’ & Chiefs’ Association, dated Aug. 7, which declares that every sheriff’s office in the state currently cooperates and communicates with ICE, has policies and procedures in place that outline their working relationship with ICE agents and that every office has a model immigration policy stipulated on their website for the public to see.
The sheriffs’ letter explicitly noted that these procedures were made in response to the Justice Department placing the entire state on its running list of sanctuary havens across the U.S.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has pressured a so-called sanctuary jurisdiction into changing its policies amid major public pressure. The mayor of Louisville revealed in July that his city would begin honoring ICE detainers in response to DOJ accusations that local officials were violating federal law by not cooperating better.
The Trump administration has also waged multiple lawsuits across the country that target alleged sanctuary havens, such as California, New York City, Chicago and other major jurisdictions.
While there is no formal definition for a “sanctuary city,” the label typically describes any state or locality that bans government officials from assisting or otherwise cooperating with federal immigration agents. Common sanctuary city policies prevent local law enforcement from honoring ICE detainer requests, sharing information with the agency or notifying the deportation officers of an impending release of a wanted illegal migrant.
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