After criticism from law enforcement, federal government takes down sanctuary list online

The Department of Homeland Security on Sunday took down a list of more than 500 counties and cities the federal government has claimed to be obstructing federal immigration law.

The list was removed from the DHS website a day after a letter from the National Sheriff’s Association criticized it as an “unnecessary erosion of unity” between local and federal law enforcement.

The list caused widespread confusion, both in New Mexico and nationwide, as named jurisdictions grappled with the threat of funding cuts with little to no explanation as to why the federal government considered them “non-compliant.”

As of Monday, the list was nowhere to be found on the DHS website. The department has not publicly recalled the list, or addressed its absence online.

“As we have previously stated, the list is being constantly reviewed and can be changed at any time and will be updated regularly,” a senior DHS spokesperson said in a statement Monday.

The majority of New Mexican counties were flagged as sanctuary jurisdictions, including some rural counties that had legislation supporting President Donald Trump’s immigration policies on the books.

In southern New Mexico, Eddy County was listed non-compliant while neighboring Lea County was excluded from the list. The Department of Homeland Security offered no detailed explanation to local officials or the Journal.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office called the list “confusing” and asked for transparency from the federal government in a statement Friday.

“The sheriffs of this country feel betrayed,” the National Sheriff’s Association letter read.

The letter demanded that DHS apologize to local law enforcement, rescind the list and release a detailed breakdown of why each jurisdiction was included.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem doubled down during a Sunday morning talk show, but did not acknowledge the list’s online erasure.

“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.”

It is unclear when or if the list will be publicly re-released.

“The completion and publication of this list has not only violated the core principles of trust, cooperation, and partnership with fellow law enforcement, but it also has the potential to strain the relationship between sheriffs and the White House administration,” the letter from the sheriffs’ continued. “...This decision by DHS could create a vacuum of trust that may take years to overcome.”