The Trump administration’s latest efforts following his tough immigration agenda are targeted at jurisdictions that declare themselves “sanctuaries” for undocumented immigrants.
Just before celebrating his 100th day in office on Tuesday, the president signed new executive orders intended at ramping up restrictions on U.S. immigration, including his mass deportation campaign. One directive instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to provide a list of states and local cities that “obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws.” Both offices have 30 days to publish the list, according to the order entitled “Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens.”
In his order, Trump said “millions of aliens” were allowed to unlawfully enter the U.S. during the Biden administration, resulting in serious national security concerns “exacerbated by the presence of international cartels,” terrorists and other criminal organizations/actors along the border. He called it an “invasion,” which requires the government to “take measures to fulfill its obligation” to public safety.
The order threatens to cut federal funds for those states, counties and cities that have declared “sanctuary,” preventing or limiting cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity. Local jurisdictions that find themselves on the list could risk losing federal funding, or face possible criminal and civil rights lawsuits, if they continue to resist Trump’s immigration agenda.
But Trump’s executive order was issued less than one week after a federal judge in San Francisco ruled that the Trump administration cannot withhold federal funding from cities and counties that have passed the “sanctuary laws.”
California leaders have taken a strong stance against Trump policies, declaring the California Values Act — referred to as the “sanctuary state” policy — which provides some protection for undocumented residents, shielding state and local police from investigating, interrogating, or arresting people for immigration enforcement purposes. Signed in 2017, it limits — but not entirely prohibits — police cooperation with ICE.
“The president is trying to simply enforce our nation’s immigration laws, and is facing roadblock after roadblock,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday, in a press briefing with border czar Tom Homan. “We’re complying with court orders, but as (Homan) has said, every day, we’re going to continue to forge ahead with this mass deportation campaign and the president is open to all remedies to do that.”
“Obey the law, respect the law, and don’t obstruct federal immigration officials and law enforcement officials,” Leavitt added, “when they are simply trying to remove public safety threats from our nation’s communities.”
Some Southern California cities, like Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego, have made moves in recent past to officially declare “sanctuary” status and not comply, should ICE show up at people’s doors.
L.A. County and the Inland Empire have seen several ICE raids and enforcement efforts — including most recently in Pomona last week, when immigration officers picked up a group of day laborers outside of a Home Depot. These acts have sparked fear in local communities.
Before Trump took office, the L.A. City Council voted last fall to formally establish Los Angeles as a “sanctuary city” for migrants, prohibiting city resources or personnel from being used to help federal enforcement of immigration laws.
The same day, L.A. Unified School District board members unanimously reaffirmed its declaration of being a “sanctuary district,” and would not aid ICE activity. Federal immigration agents were denied entry at two LAUSD schools in April. The activity caused major backlash from the superintendent and school communities.
In March, L.A. city councilmembers said that around $540,000 will be saved to maintain immigration legal services to cover any potential gap in federal funding. They also approved a motion that would explore ways to require businesses to report any ICE activity — and inform workers of their rights — ahead of any potential raids.
Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who co-authored L.A.’s “sanctuary city” ordinance, stated that Trump “already tried this” and “failed because it’s unconstitutional.”
“This is just another scare tactic to get us to follow his authoritarian agenda. But it’s not going to work,” Soto-Martinez said.
L.A. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez deemed the executive order “a desperate and shortsighted political stunt.”
“California — powered by immigrants — is the engine of the nation’s economy, and Los Angeles leads with strength, not fear,” Hernandez said in a statement. “We stand by the common-sense truth that every human being deserves dignity, safety and opportunity, and we will not be bullied into abandoning our neighbors or our values.”
In Long Beach, which declared itself a sanctuary city back in 2017, immigration activists demanded the Long Beach Values Act — upholding the California Values Act — be further strengthened ahead of Trump’s inauguration in January. The act, developed with local organizations and community stakeholders, aims to further protect and advocate for Long Beach’s undocumented residents. It directs staff to share multilingual information to educate community members on their rights and any available resources.
In 2016, Santa Ana became the only city in Orange County to adopt sanctuary laws into its city charter, prohibiting the use of city resources for immigration enforcement. In February, amid growing fears brought on by threats of mass deportations, the City Council reaffirmed its dedication to protecting all citizens regardless of immigration status.
Santa Ana Councilmember Jessie Lopez was concerned the Trump administration would target Santa Ana for its sanctuary laws.
“This feels like extortion, plain and simple,” Lopez said Tuesday. “They’re essentially saying you need to betray your community. Get in line or else, and I am unwilling to do that. We know that the foundation of these executive orders is based on racism and xenophobia, and it’s wrong.”
The fight to protect immigrant residents is a personal one, she said.
“I’m here because my family dared to dream, dared to survive, and now I have the opportunity to serve the community that raised me,” Lopez said. “I’m not going to betray my constituents. I’m not going to turn my back on them. I’m not going to be silent.”
Speaking for residents who are “afraid and overwhelmed,” Lopez said that with any executive order, “we are just making sure that we understand what tools we legally have available to protect our constituents.”
In April, Anaheim leaders unanimously declared their town a “welcoming city” to immigrants, hoping to quell growing fears. Huntington Beach took the opposite stance, declaring itself a “non-sanctuary city” earlier this year following an initial round of immigration-related executive orders Trump issued on day one.
Leaders in other jurisdictions that have not officially declared sanctuary status, but have spoken out, also raised the alarm.
In Riverside County, with over 130,000 undocumented residents estimated, some county leaders took a stand. At a county Board of Supervisors meeting in late January, supervisors V. Manuel Perez and Yxstian Gutierrez proposed steps to protect immigrant residents and local communities from the threat of raids and deportations. The duo sought creation of a webpage on immigrant rights and resources, a report on how Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) data is protected, and funding to support “law-abiding undocumented immigrants” facing deportation.
The motion to look into how DACA data is stored passed unanimously, though there was disagreement from some community members worried the board was attempting to create a “sanctuary county.”
Many local immigration rights advocates expressed their frustration over the latest move in Trump’s immigration crackdown, but promised their fight would continue.
Since the inauguration, TODEC Legal Center in Perris has hosted multiple bilingual “Know Your Rights” sessions for undocumented communities. They aim to educate immigrants and family members on what to do if approached by agents in an ICE raid.
Luz Gallegos, the center’s executive director, called the executive order just the latest political “threat.”
“Threats don’t erase court rulings or community rights. Attacks on sanctuary policies have been tried before —and the courts have consistently found these attacks to be unconstitutional,” Gallegos stated. “In communities like ours, and across this country, immigrants keep our economies strong. We must continue supporting and protecting these workers, their families and their rights.”
The San Bernardino-based Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice provides similar workshops and legal aid to immigrant families. Leaders said the group aims to fight Trump’s orders, speaking at community forums and offering resources, such as a hotline where people can report possible ICE or U.S. Border Patrol activity. In early April, the coalition led a tour of an ICE processing center in Adelanto, near Victorville, with members of the California Latino Legislative Caucus.
The nonprofit said it “strongly condemns” the Trump administration’s “renewed attacks on sanctuary cities.”
“These executive orders are rooted in xenophobia, not in public safety,” said Eddie Torres, the group’s policy director. “Sanctuary cities reflect our values of compassion, dignity, and justice — and we will continue to fight for the right of all families to live free from fear.”
The IE is home to over a million immigrants who contribute every day to the fabric of the region, organizers said.
“We stand with local leaders, advocates, and allies across the country who are resisting these harmful policies and working toward a future where every person is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of immigration status,” Torres added.
Alianza Translatinx, an LGBTQ+ rights organization based in Santa Ana, said that community members have been active in fighting for immigration rights. The nonprofit is led by CEO Khloe Rios-Wyatt, a formerly undocumented trans woman.
“Fear is their weapon; resilience is ours,” said Rios-Wyatt. “The fight for immigrant dignity is permanent. At Alianza Translatinx, we stand with our people today, tomorrow, and every day after.”
The LA-based Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) echoed a similar response, calling Trump’s actions part of “the administration’s fearmongering campaign.”
“We uphold the principles and values of our immigration laws and the constitution. Since Trump was a candidate for president, he has said that he isn’t against immigration as long as people do it the right way and follow the law,” executive director Angelica Salas said in an April news conference. “These words ring hollow today as we all bear witness to action after action, decision after decision that systemically tries to tear away laws and institutions.”
Pablo Alvarado from National Day Laborer Organizing Network, based in Pasadena, was confident that Trump’s “legal attacks on sanctuary cities” are “unlawful, and we are confident that they will fail in court.”
“The administration says it will not stop until all the immigrants it considers undesirables are arrested and removed,” Alvarado said. “They want to erase us. But this will not happen – because we fight together, we win.”
Staff writers Destiny Torres, Michael Slaten, Christina Merino, Teresa Liu and City News Service contributed to this report.