Cooler but still well above normal this week

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

A growing number of cities, states, police departments, school districts and other local governments are signaling they won't cooperate with what Trump administration officials are describing as the largest migrant deportation effort in U.S. history.

"The Omaha police department has no plans to participate in any raids," said Chief Todd Schmaderer, who heads the Omaha, Nebraska police department

. He added that local officers "do not and will not" stop people to check their legal status.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security say they've launched efforts nationally to identify, detain and deport far more migrants without legal status, including some allowed into the U.S. by the Biden administration.  DHS officials also say their agents are now free to conduct raids at churches and schools, canceling guidelines that made "sensitive" areas off-limits.

Appearing in the same video, Omaha's Republican Mayor Jean Stothert said threats of a nationwide immigration crackdown are causing "concern and fear" in her community.  "Enforcing immigration law is the responsibility of federal law enforcement agencies, not the Omaha police department," she said.

Omaha officials aren't alone. Leaders in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City and other communities have made it clear they'll 

 of migrants without legal status – and may actively oppose them with lawsuits and other efforts.

"It would have a very chilling effect on our ability to provide public safety in the city if people were afraid to call the Minneapolis police because they think we're going to call Immigration on them," said Minneapolis police Chief Brian O'Hara in an 

At an event last week in Grand Prairie, Texas, police Chief Daniel Scesney said his department also won't support immigration sweeps. "My officers would not be using their time efficiently if they were driving around trying to find people who might have been born in another place,"

Other cities publicly opposed some or all of the federal crackdown:

Before President Trump took office, many local jurisdictions around the U.S. passed measures strictly limiting cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities. The Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for tighter restrictions on migrants entering the U.S., identified 

13 states and more than 200 cities and counties

 with some form of "sanctuary" law or ordinance protecting migrants.

Some cities have embraced Trump's migrant deportation plan. Huntington Beach, California, passed a measure this week declaring the community a "non-sanctuary city."

, a Republican, blasted other California officials for "subverting our federal government's enforcement of our immigration laws."

Trump administration officials have made it clear they plan to pressure local governments that don't cooperate. A 

 distributed this week said state and local officials could face prosecution if they fail to aid enforcement efforts.

"Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands or requests," the memo states, raising the possibility of charges for harboring immigrants without legal status or for failing to share information with immigration authorities.

Social Issues

Immigration

Homepage

Brian Mann

Author

Local government officials around the U.S. signal they won't assist — and in some cases they'll actively oppose — the Trump administration's efforts to conduct a massive deportation of migrants.

Local governments across U.S. signal they won't aid Trump migrant crackdown

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox