Nearly 8 Million Undocumented Immigrants Residing in Sanctuary Cities Across the U.S.

A recent report from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) suggests that close to 8 million undocumented immigrants reside in sanctuary areas throughout the United States, where they are shielded from federal immigration enforcement actions. Specifically, about 6.3 million reside in sanctuary states like California and New York, while over 750,000 are in Maryland, New Mexico, and Virginia.

Additionally, more than 820,000 live in sanctuary areas within non-sanctuary states.

CIS’s Jason Richwine advocates for all states to adopt bans on sanctuary jurisdictions, similar to Texas and Florida, to aid federal immigration enforcement.

Richwine stated, “Although there is much imprecision in the data, the bottom line is that close to eight million illegal aliens, equaling 56 percent of the estimated nationwide total, live in sanctuary jurisdictions.”

Richwine wrote, “Those two states have no local sanctuaries because they ban them statewide. Every state should follow their lead.”

Richwine added, “Eliminating sanctuaries is one of the most important steps that states can take to assist the Trump administration with enforcement.”

Incoming Border Czar Thomas Homan has also called for an end to these policies, arguing they hinder the ability of ICE agents to make arrests and pose risks to public safety.

Homan said, “I want to send a clear message: If you let us in the jail, we can arrest the bad guy in the jail and in the safety and security of the jail.”

Homan stated, “One officer could do that, but when you release a public safety threat back in the community, you put the community at risk. You put my officers at risk. You put the alien at risk.”