(DailyAnswer.org) – Since January 2021, sanctuary cities and counties across the United States have shielded over 22,000 criminal illegal immigrants from deportation, according to data analyzed by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). These areas, often at odds with federal immigration enforcement, have prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from taking custody of individuals who were flagged for deportation.
Sanctuary jurisdictions block ICE detainers in various ways. Sometimes, they outright refuse to honor them. In other cases, they release individuals without giving ICE enough time to take action. Jessica Vaughan, the Director of Research at CIS, highlights the consequences: “Every ignored detainer is another chance for a deportable criminal to walk free, potentially endangering more lives.”
During the first year of the Biden-Harris administration, about 2,500 criminal illegal immigrants avoided deportation thanks to sanctuary policies. By 2022, that number more than doubled, with over 5,700 detainers going unenforced. The trend continued to grow in 2023, with nearly 8,000 cases reported, and so far in 2024, nearly 6,000 detainers have been ignored.
This rise in sanctuary activity coincides with the Biden administration’s decision to end stricter policies implemented during the Trump years. For example, in 2017, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions introduced a policy that withheld certain federal grants from sanctuary jurisdictions. This created financial pressure on local governments to reconsider their policies. Several areas dropped their sanctuary status in response.
The policy received strong legal backing. In 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had the authority to set conditions for grant recipients. However, in April 2021, shortly after Biden and Harris took office, this policy was scrapped.
Looking ahead, another Trump administration could revive efforts to address sanctuary policies, potentially reinstating measures like those introduced by Sessions. For now, however, sanctuary jurisdictions remain a contentious issue, with critics arguing they undermine public safety and immigration law.
This debate underscores a larger divide in how the U.S. approaches immigration enforcement, leaving many wondering where the balance between local and federal control should lie.
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