DOJ Says Nevada Is No Longer a Sanctuary State

LAS VEGAS, NV - Late last week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that the state of Nevada is no longer considered a sanctuary state, reducing the number of sanctuary states in the country to 12.

In a statement, Governor Joe Lomardo said that the agreement with the DOJ reaffirms Nevada's commitment to federal immigration law, NEWS3 reported. 

"Despite the Attorney Generals' attempts to implement sanctuary policies, Nevada is not a sanctuary state, has never been a sanctuary state, and will never be a sanctuary state under my leadership," Governor Lombardo said. "The state's agreement with the Department of Justice today reaffirms our commitment to following federal immigration law in Nevada."

This development comes after the DOJ published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions on August 5 in line with President Trump's Executive Order 14287, NEWS4 reported. Nevada was included on the list of states because authorities said there were "policies, laws, and regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration law." Nevada being removed from the list marks the first removal since the list's publication, according to the DOJ. 

In response to the DOJ announcement, Attorney General Aaron Ford also released a statement. "I have never supported sanctuary for criminals. The sanctuary designation from the Trump Administration happened on Governor Lombardo's watch, which is yet another failure of his tenure," Ford said.

"Unlike the governor, I have actually passed legislation to crack down on fentanyl being trafficked across our border, and have won more than $1 billion to combat the opioid issue right here in Nevada."

Back in February, Ford released model immigration policies aimed at limiting enforcement in schools, health care facilities, and courthouses. The press release that came from the DOJ indicated that Nevada has agreed to fully collaborate on immigration enforcement.

UNLV Assistant Professor of Public Policy Ben Leffel criticized the decision, calling it a "weak decision" that will do more harm than good. "Agreeing to work with ICE is uniformly the wrong move," Leffel said. "They are our neighbors, and they are not criminals; they are not dangerous criminals."

Nevada Assemblywoman Danielle Gallant argued that Nevada has never been a sanctuary state. "Our policies haven't changed, just the viewpoint of the federal government reviewing our policies," she said. "We've really put American lives at risk, and it's time that we get that under control."

In a statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, "The Department of Justice is committed to eradicating sanctuary policies across America. We applaud Governor Lombardo and Nevada for taking necessary steps to fully comply with the Trump Administration's immigration policy. This should serve as a reminder to other jurisdictions: come to the table and work with us instead of going to court."