Mayors Across the Nation are Fighting Back Trump
After Homeland Security officials announced their plan of targeting cities that are designated sanctuary areas, political leaders were put in a really tough position: fight back against Trump, or concede and hope he doesn’t wreak havoc on the people of their cities.
Instead, many of these leaders decided to fight back at Trump head-on through community mobilization, using the laws/courts against him, and writing in laws to protect their cities:
New Orleans
Homeland security had a rough start in New Orleans, with the NOLA Police Department superintendent, Annie Kirkpatrick, saying in a press conference:
“To be in the country undocumented is a civil issue. We will not enforce civil law.”
The local sheriff’s office also refused to allow ICE into their jails to make arrests or even use the space for additional detention.
The NOLA city council, which is currently led by Mayor Helena Moreno, launched a new portal for residents to document and submit their testimonies and evidence of potential abuse by federal agents.
Minneapolis
As Minneapolis and the greater Massachusetts area brace for the ICE operations that are currently targeting Somali immigrants over alleged “visa fraud”, their Mayor Jacob Frey signed an executive order that aims to ban law enforcement agencies from:
“…using any City-owned parking lots, ramps, garages, or vacant lots to stage civil immigration enforcement operations.”
The mayoral staff has also put together a notice template that residents and businesses can use as a display to deter civil enforcement in their private spaces.
Chicago
Border Patrol and other federal bureaus assisting with the ICE raids swarmed the city for months this past fall. In response, Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a similar ban on using city-owned spaces for any immigration enforcement operations, calling it “ICE Free Zones”.
New Jersey
Earlier in the year, Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka put in the footwork to block the opening of an immigration detention facility, alleging that the building is not “up to code.” He also joined protestors and made a human barricade in front of the building.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County officials came together and approved an emergency declaration that will cover living expenses for anyone who missed work due to immigration raids.
As the Trump administration increases ICE raids in sanctuary cities, mayors nationwide are actively pushing back against federal immigration enforcement through legal, legislative, and community-based strategies.
Rather than buckling under pressure from Homeland Security, local officials in cities like New Orleans, Minneapolis, Chicago, Newark, and Los Angeles have taken action to limit cooperation with ICE, block the use of city-owned property by enforcement, and establish protections for residents targeted by raids.
But because national media have mainly missed these developments, mayors and city-led resistance take their place as one of the most essential forms of resistance to mass deportation efforts yet.
Using the law, local governance powers, and public solidarity, these cities are proving that federal immigration enforcement is not unstoppable.
What has become a loud, municipal pushback underscores a broader political reality: when federal policy threatens community stability and human rights, local governments can and increasingly are fighting back.
Ans now Miami just elected its first Democrat mayor in THIRTY YEARS
This is great. Have you come across anything where states, counties, or cities have used the police to arrest ICE for violating the 4th and 5th amendments as well as state/local laws? I'm still not clear on why they can't be held accountable and be put in jail.