DOJ declares Nevada a 'sanctuary' for undocumented immigrants
Published in News & Features
LAS VEGAS — Nevada is one of about a dozen states considered by the Trump administration as a so-called “sanctuary” for undocumented immigrants, according to a list unveiled Tuesday by the Department of Justice.
The designation — which Nevada officials quickly rejected — comes months after the city of Las Vegas was among hundreds of jurisdictions placed on a similar list and as President Donald Trump moves to fulfill his “mass deportations” campaign promise.
The DOJ didn’t specifically say why Nevada is a sanctuary, but it compiled nine bullet points justifying the designation of the 13 states, four counties and 18 cities.
The list includes public declarations, laws and directives that limit local law enforcement collaboration with ICE, lack of information sharing and funding restrictions that prohibit local funds from being used to support federal immigration enforcement efforts.
“Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a news release Tuesday. “The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country.”
No other Nevada jurisdiction was included in Tuesday’s list. The designations will be reviewed “regularly,” according to the DOJ. The jurisdictions will have an opportunity to respond and “remediate their policies, practices, and laws.”
In a Tuesday statement, Sen. Jacky Rosen’s office said there are no sanctuary jurisdictions in Nevada, and she is concerned about how the Trump administration’s “false labeling” could impede Nevada from accessing federal funds.
Arturo Gutierrez, spokesperson for Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, said Nevada is not a sanctuary state and the designation is wrong.
When the Department of Homeland Security labeled Las Vegas a sanctuary in late-May, other Nevada officials quickly denounced the claim.
The DHS list was taken down shortly after it was uploaded, and the federal government never said why the city was included in the first place.
A city spokesperson told the Review-Journal that Las Vegas officials learned about the state’s sanctuary classification on Tuesday.
“The city of Las Vegas has never designated itself as a sanctuary city, and we have not been designated as such in this latest list from the federal government,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement.
The city deferred additional comment to state officials.
Attorney General Aaron Ford’s office declined to comment. Gov. Joe Lombardo could not immediately be reached for comment.
“Just as the State of Nevada is not a sanctuary state, the City of Las Vegas is not a sanctuary jurisdiction,” Lombardo wrote in a statement after Las Vegas’ designation.
Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nevada, said at the time that he supported the governor’s assessment.
A day after Las Vegas was tagged as a sanctuary on May 29, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill signed onto a 287 (g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The contract allows Clark County Detention Center personnel to serve warrants on certain immigrants booked at the jail, allowing federal agents up to 48 hours to pick them up after the inmates are set to be released.
McMahill previously told the Review-Journal that those conversations were ongoing before the sanctuary designation.
Three other Nevada sheriff’s offices have signed 287 (g) pacts, and each limits collaboration with ICE to the jails.
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