The designation of Las Vegas as a ‘sanctuary’ city for undocumented immigrants by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has led to significant local and national concern,
especially considering the potential withholding of federal funds.
Local officials, however, are expressing confusion over the situation, noting that they have received no explanation regarding the designation or why Las Vegas was included in the DHS list.
This list, which alleged that many jurisdictions were not complying with federal immigration laws, was taken down by DHS without further communication.
A spokesperson for the city of Las Vegas stated, ‘At this time, we’ve had no additional communication from DHS at the federal level regarding the sanctuary city list.’
The situation escalated a day after the sanctuary classification was announced on May 29, when the Metropolitan Police Department formalized its collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Clark County Detention Center.
The pending contract under Section 287(g) would permit jail staff to execute ICE warrants for individuals booked at the facility.
Additionally, it would allow ICE up to 48 hours to detain individuals after they are due for release from jail.
Prior to this formal agreement, ICE and metro law enforcement had an informal relationship, primarily flagging inmates facing allegations of violent crimes, DUI, and domestic violence.
Following President Donald Trump’s signing of the Laken Riley Act earlier this year, the list of reportable offenses expanded to include alleged theft-related crimes, which increased the number of flagged inmates significantly.
From January through May, an approximate total of 300 detainees were flagged and reported to ICE, contrasting sharply with only two reports for the same timeframe in 2024.
Despite inquiries from the media, DHS has neither clarified why the sanctuary list was withdrawn nor explained the rationale behind Las Vegas’ designation.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which advocates for reduced immigration rates, contends that Clark County meets the criteria for being labeled a sanctuary jurisdiction.
In a recent report, FAIR highlighted several policies from the Metropolitan Police and the Clark County School District as contributing to this classification.
According to FAIR, ‘Sanctuary jurisdictions are states or localities that have enacted laws, ordinances, policies, practices, resolutions, or regulations that prohibit or impede communication or cooperation with immigration officials, or otherwise obstruct the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.’
School district officials noted earlier this year that they do not verify students’ immigration status and do not enforce immigration law.
In fact, the district reiterated in a 2017 resolution that ICE agents faced ‘certain restrictions’ when it came to accessing school campuses.
Governor Joe Lombardo’s recent veto of a bill aimed at limiting ICE agents’ access to schools added further context to this scenario.
Additionally, FAIR pointed to the current policies of Metro Police, which state that officers are not responsible for immigration enforcement outside the jail, a situation that could change if the 287(g) agreement is approved.
Ira Mehlman, media director for FAIR, remarked, ‘It would seem reasonable that any police department, if you get a foreign criminal off the streets and out of the country, that would be beneficial to the community at large.’
FAIR representatives conveyed that they communicated with the Department of Justice about a month ago concerning the sanctuary designations.
They noted that the federal agency acknowledged an ongoing review of the listings.
Mehlman indicated, ‘They said there seemed to be errors or disputes; some contention from the part of some of the jurisdictions listed.’
This ongoing scrutiny contrasts sharply with the perspective of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nevada, which has described the sanctuary city designations as politically driven rather than based on factual assessments.
West Juhl, communications and campaign director for the ACLU of Nevada, stated, ‘The city of Las Vegas actually cooperates with ICE quite a bit more than it is required to by law and certainly more than we want, but I wasn’t super surprised personally to see the city included because I know the term ‘sanctuary’ is mostly political in nature, rather than factual.’
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