Local Policing and Immigration Enforcement

Background Information

For decades, the federal government has sought to use local law enforcement agencies to enhance its immigration enforcement efforts. All too often, these agencies have been happy to oblige – to the detriment of public safety and community building.

Across the South, local and state legislators have handed over our tax dollars to support the federal immigration dragnet, and many city police and county sheriff departments have willingly agreed to spend our tax dollars on federal immigration enforcement. What’s more, the Trump administration has punished “sanctuary” or “welcoming” cities and counties – those that have chosen not to entangle themselves in federal immigration law enforcement – by illegally cutting off federal funding.

The SPLC is committed to reducing the entanglement of federal immigration enforcement and local law enforcement agencies across the Deep South. To continue reading, click here.

Our Cases

Brooks v. Woods, et. al.
City of South Miami, et al. v. Ron DeSantis, et al. 
Peter Sean Brown v. Richard A. “Rick” Ramsay 
Marcos Martinez, et al. v. Hancock County, Mississippi, et al. 
Low Country Immigration Coalition v. Haley
HICA v. Bentley
GLAHR v. Deal
Angel Francisco Castro-Torres v. Jeremiah M. Lignitz and Brian J. Walraven
Juana Montano-Pérez, et al. v. Durrett Cheese Sales, Inc.

Amicus briefs in sanctuary cases

The Southern Poverty Law Center has filed the following “friend-of-the-court” briefs, also known as amicus briefs, to defend sanctuary policies in the cases below.

City and County of San Francisco v. Donald J. Trump, et al.
District court brief
Appellate court brief

City of Chicago v. Jefferson B. Sessions III
Appellate court brief

County of Santa Clara v. Donald J. Trump, et al.
District court brief
Appellate court brief

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