Sanctuary cities for illegals in USA - Last Updated 2-1-08
List of US Sanctuary Cities*
*Note: Not all listings have been independently confirmed by OJJPAC. If you believe a city should not be listed, please send an email, and OJJPAC will make note of the dispute and attempt to verify. Dates represent when a city was added to the list, not when it became or allegedly became a sanctuary city. Other notations may indicate the source of information. Cities without a date were added prior to May, 2007. Some sanctuary cities may not have yet been identified and therefore not listed here. You are encouraged to perform additional research regarding the status of your own city. The presence of illegal aliens in your city does not necessarily indicate that your city is a sanctuary city.
Last updated: 2-1-08
State/City
Alaska
Anchorage (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Fairbanks (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service, also see dispute resolution note below)
Arizona
Chandler, AZ (Added 5/30/07, Congressional Research Service Report, 2006 )
Phoenix, AZ
California
Bell Gardens, CA
City of Industry, CA
City of Commerce, CA
Cypress, CA
Davis CA
Downey, CA
Fresno, CA (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Lakewood, CA
Los Angeles, CA (Congressional Research Service)
Long Beach, CA
Lynwood, CA
Maywood, CA
Montebello, CA
National City, CA
Norwalk, CA
Oakland, CA (Added 8-27-07. Source: 4/25/07 story by KCBS 740 AM. Link here.)
Paramount, CA
Pico Rivera, CA
So. Gate, CA
San Bernardino, Ca. (Added 6/7/07, reader submitted)
San Diego, CA (Congressional Research Service)
Santa Cruz, CA (Added 5/30/07, documented by KSBW news)
San Francisco, CA (Congressional Research Service)
San Jose, CA (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Sonoma County, CA (Congressional Research Service)
Tucson, CA (Added 11-12-07, Source: 11-11-07 story by Brady McCombs, Arizona Daily Star. See note below.)
Vernon, CA
Watsonville, CA (Added 5/30/07, documented by KSBW news)
Wilmington, CA
Colorado
Aurora, CO
Commerce City, CO
Denver, CO (Congressional Research Service)
Durango, CO (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Federal Heights, CO
Fort Collins CO
Lafayette, CO (Added 6/3/07, documented by reader)
Thornton, CO
Westminster, CO
Connecticut
New Haven, CT (Added 6/4/07. TV News 8: City council votes 25-1 to issue ID cards to illegal aliens)
Florida
DeLeon Springs, FL
Deltona, Fl
Miami, FL
Georgia
Dalton, GA (Added 5/30/07. 6/18/07 Listing disputed as inaccurate by the City of Dalton, GA. Currently being researched. )
Illinois
Chicago, IL (Congressional Research Service)
Cicero, IL (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Evanston, IL (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Massachusetts
Cambridge, Mass. (Source: Boston Globe. First passed resolution in 1985)
Chelsea, Mass. (Added: 8-14-07 Source: Chelsea government website with text of sanctuary policy.)
Orleans, Mass. (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Springfield (Disputed)
Maine
Portland (Added 5/31/07 Note: Maine resident reported that Portland city council passed sanctuary legislation)
State of Maine (Added 5/31/07 Note: Maine resident reported that the governor signed a sanctuary executive order)
Maryland
Baltimore, MD (Congressional Research Service)
Gaithersburg, MD
Mt. Rainier, MD (Added 1-20-08, Source: The Washington D.C. Examiner, 1-19-08)
Takoma Park, MD (Reported that City ordinance passed some 20 years ago; Congressional Research Service)
Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Detroit, MI (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN (Congressional Research Service)
St. Paul, MN
Worthington, MN (Added 5-30-07 Note: This is where a Swift plant was raided by ICE in December, 2006)
Nevada
Reno (Added 5-31-07)
New Jersey
Camden, NJ
Fort Lee, NJ
Hightstown, NJ (Added 5-30-07)
Jersey City, NJ
Newark, NJ (Added 6-3-07)
North Bergen, NJ
Trenton, NJ
Union City, NJ
West New York, NJ
New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service; 8-14-07 KOB-TV 4 Eyewitness News report)
Rio Ariba County, NM (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Santa Fe, NM (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
New York
Bay Shore, NY
Brentwood, NY
Central Islip, NY
Farmingville, NY
New York City, NY
Riverhead, NY
Shirly/Mastic, NY
Spring Valley Village, NY (Added 7-25-07)
Uniondale, NY
Westbury, NY
North Carolina
Carrboro, NC (Added 11-12-07 Source: Towns differ on illegal aliens by Patrick Winn, The News & Observer)
Chapel Hill, NC (Added 11-12-07 Source: Towns differ on illegal aliens by Patrick Winn, The News & Observer)
Charlotte, NC
Durham, NC (6/13/07 Congressional Research Service)
Raleigh
Winston-Salem
Ohio
Columbus, OH (7/5/07 Source: 5/10/07 Columbus Dispatch article stating illegal aliens in misdemeanor cases are not reported to ICE)
Painesville, OH (7-19-07 Source: 7-18-07 Cleveland Scene article) [8-9-07 Disputed by Painesville's City Manager, under review. 11-11-07 OJJPAC Note: City appears to be reassessing its policies. It is OJJPAC's hope that Painesville can be removed from the list soon.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City (de facto)
Tulsa (6-3-07 Note: Tulsa city council is discussing changing its sanctuary policy.)
Oregon
State of Oregon * (8-9-07 Congressional Research Service) *(See note below)
Ashland, OR (8-9-07 Congressional Research Service)
Gaston, OR (8-9-07 Congressional Research Service)
Marion County, OR (8-9-07 Congressional Research Service)
Portland, OR
Texas
Austin, TX (Congressional Research Service)
Baytown, TX (6-13-07 Local reader observation)
Brownsville, TX
Channelview, TX (6-13-07 Local reader observation)
Denton, TX
Dallas, TX
El Cenizo, TX (6-13-07 Congressional Research Service)
Ft.Worth, TX
Houston, TX (Congressional Research Service)
Katy, TX (Congressional Research Service)
Laredo, TX
Mcallen, TX
Port Arthur, TX (6-13-07 Reader/resident observation)
Utah
Provo, UT
Salt Lake City, UT
Virginia
Fairfax County, VA
Virginia Beach, VA (Added 6/3/07)
Washington
Seattle, WA (Added 5/30/07; Congressional Research Service)
Wisconsin
Madison, WI (Congressional Research Service)
Wyoming
Jackson Hole, WY
Washington, D.C.
http://www.ojjpac.org/sanctuary.asp