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Rep. Jayapal slams DHS’ sanctuary city list
She characterized the move as an “unlawful attempt” to coerce states and localities into enforcing federal immigration policies.
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Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 30, May 2025
- 16:28 EDT
- 12
Rep. Pramila Jayapal / Wikipedia
Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) issued a strong rebuke of the Trump administration’s recently published list of over 500 so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions.”
Jayapal, Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, characterized the move as an “unlawful attempt” to coerce states and localities into enforcing federal immigration policies, warning that it undermines public safety and constitutional rights.
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“This is just the latest unlawful attempt by the Trump administration to coerce states and localities like Washington state into enforcing its chaotic and harmful immigration policies that kidnap and disappear U.S. citizens, mistakenly deport people with lawful status, and attempt to trample due process rights for everyone,” Jayapal stated.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the list on May 30, identifying jurisdictions it claims are obstructing federal immigration enforcement. The list includes major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle, as well as several counties and states. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem asserted that these jurisdictions endanger Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens.
The Trump administration has indicated that jurisdictions on the list may face consequences, including potential loss of federal funding and legal action, as part of an executive order signed in April.
Jayapal highlighted Washington state's 2019 Keep Washington Working Act, which she described as a bipartisan law designed to ensure local police focus on public safety rather than federal immigration enforcement. “We know that when local police act as immigration agents, it destroys the trust police rely on to preserve public safety in communities and results in immigrants not reporting crime or feeling safe enough to help prosecute crime,” she noted.
The congresswoman emphasized that courts have upheld the rights of states to enact such laws, and she criticized the administration's actions as further unlawful overreach.
In a social media post, Jayapal reiterated her stance, saying “Trump’s effort to coerce states, cities, and towns into enforcing his immigration policies is both bad for public safety and an unlawful overreach. Our communities cannot be bullied into submission by this authoritarian administration.”
The release of the sanctuary jurisdictions list has sparked confusion and criticism from various local officials. Some jurisdictions identified on the list, including those with Republican leadership, have disputed their inclusion, citing errors and lack of clarity in the criteria used by DHS.
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