Trump administration targets California ‘sanctuary’ cities, counties

The Department of Homeland Security has labeled over 500 cities and counties, many of them in California, as “sanctuary jurisdictions,” escalating the conflict between the federal government and local leaders over immigration enforcement.

The list, which was published on Thursday, places these communities on notice, demanding they “immediately” revise their policies to align with President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policy.

“Sanctuary cities protect dangerous criminal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in peril,” DHS stated.

The designations are based on a variety of factors, including whether a municipality cooperates with federal immigration officials, places restrictions on information sharing and offers legal protections to undocumented immigrants.

Dozens of cities and counties in California appear on the list, including major metropolitan areas and smaller communities.

The California counties include Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Bernardino, Ventura and others. Cities include Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Long Beach, Malibu, Culver City and Huntington Beach (see the full list below).

“These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a press release.

In November 2024, immediately following Trump’s election, the L.A. City Council unanimously passed an ordinance explicitly prohibiting the direct or indirect sharing of data with federal immigration authorities.

“Immigrants make up the very fabric of Los Angeles, and they deserve to feel safe and protected in the city they call home, no matter who is in power,” said Councilmember Nithya Raman, whose family moved to the U.S. from India when she was 6 years old.

Local governments also argue that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and that local resources are better used addressing local crime.

“This is simply the latest attempt by the Trump administration to strong-arm cities like Seattle into changing our local policies through bluster and threats to critical federal funding for public safety and homelessness,” Bruce Harrell, the city’s mayor, told the Associated Press in an email. “It’s not going to work — the law is on our side — and we will not hesitate to protect our people and stand up for our values.”

The list was published as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to follow through on the president’s campaign promises to remove millions of people who are in the country illegally. It came out as Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced major leadership changes, and after a White House official said the administration wanted to drive daily immigration arrests significantly higher.

California counties on the “Sanctuary Jurisdiction” list: