Undocumented immigrants, left to right, Hermelindo, of Guatemala, Victor, of Mexico, and Juan, of Guatemala, wait for day labor jobs at a Home Depot in South Austin Wednesday November 6, 2024.
Washington D.C. – A newly released Department of Homeland Security (DHS) list of so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions” has quietly vanished from the agency’s website just days after publication, following widespread criticism and confusion over its contents.
The list, published Thursday, was part of the Trump administration’s renewed effort to crack down on localities it accuses of failing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. According to DHS, jurisdictions named on the list would be formally notified that they were considered “uncooperative” and possibly in violation of federal law. But by Sunday, the webpage hosting the list returned only a “Page Not Found” error.
Officials offered little clarity on the sudden disappearance of the list, though criticism had mounted from both liberal and conservative communities over its accuracy and intent.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, speaking on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” acknowledged the backlash but did not explain why the list was removed. “Some of the cities have pushed back,” Noem said. “They think because they don’t have one law or another on the books that they don’t qualify, but they do qualify. They are giving sanctuary to criminals.”
Critics, however, questioned both the criteria and the list’s credibility. Among the cities included was Huntington Beach, California—a locality that has openly opposed the state’s sanctuary laws and recently declared itself a “non-sanctuary city.” The city had also filed a lawsuit against California’s immigration policies, making its inclusion on the list especially puzzling.
In Wisconsin, Shawano County Administrator Jim Davel said his community’s appearance on the list was likely a mistake. “We’ve never passed any immigration sanctuary policies,” Davel said. “This must be confusion with our 2021 vote to become a ‘Second Amendment Sanctuary County,’ which had nothing to do with immigration.” Davel, a Trump supporter, noted that 67% of the county voted for the former president.
White House officials defended the list as a living document subject to revision. “Designation of a sanctuary jurisdiction is based on the evaluation of numerous factors,” a spokesperson said, citing self-identification, noncompliance with federal immigration enforcement, and legal protections for undocumented immigrants.
However, the list—reportedly riddled with misspellings and inconsistencies—drew skepticism from local officials and policy analysts. Critics accused the administration of using the label as a political tool rather than a legal designation.
Whether the list will be republished remains unclear. DHS has not announced any timeline for its return or whether corrections will be made. For now, one of the administration’s boldest immigration enforcement tools has disappeared from public view just as abruptly as it appeared.
