Enforce the Law. End the Excuses: Why ICE Cooperation Matters
October 22, 2026
Our communities deserve cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. When someone in local custody is subject to immigration enforcement, agencies should have a lawful, reliable way to communicate and coordinate.
Secure America Now supports ending sanctuary restrictions that obstruct that cooperation. Public officials should explain how their policies support public safety and accountability.
Understanding what needs to change starts with understanding how the system works.
What Are Sanctuary Policies?
Sanctuary policies are state or local measures that limit participation in federal immigration enforcement. They vary by jurisdiction and can address information sharing, release notifications, detention requests, or access to local facilities.
“Sanctuary city” does not describe one uniform policy. Evaluating a jurisdiction requires looking at its actual rules and the cooperation those rules permit or restrict.
That distinction matters. Officials should face scrutiny for specific restrictions and documented decisions. The label alone cannot explain what happened in an individual case.
What Is an ICE Detainer?
An ICE detainer is a request to a law enforcement agency concerning someone already in its custody. It can ask the agency to notify ICE before release and maintain custody for up to 48 additional hours so federal immigration officers can assume custody.
A detainer is an administrative request, not a criminal conviction or a judge-issued warrant. Whether a local agency can extend detention also involves applicable law and constitutional requirements.
A workable enforcement policy must address those requirements directly. Agencies need clear procedures, proper documentation, and the legal authority to act.
Why Does Cooperation With ICE Matter?
Release notifications andallow immigration authoritieshorities an opportunity to assume custody when legally authorized. Restrictions on that communication can affect how officers carry out enforcement. ICE describes detainers as a mechanism for arranging that transfer from another agency’s custody.
Our position is straightforward: local officials should support lawful coordination, particularly in cases involving people convicted of serious crimes who are subject to removal.
That requires more than a slogan. Officials should be able to answer basic questions:
- Does the jurisdiction notify ICE before a scheduled release when legally permitted?
- What requirements govern transfers into federal custody?
- Who reviews a request and verifies its legal basis?
- How are missed notifications or failed transfers documented?
The public deserves clear answers.
Do Sanctuary Policies Cause Individual Crimes?
A specific crime cannot automatically be attributed to sanctuary policies. Establishing that connection requires evidence about the person’s custody history, the requests authorities received, the timing of release, and the policy governing the decision.
An arrest is also not a conviction. A person’s immigration status alone does not establish that they committed a violent crime.
Accountability means identifying what actually failed. When records establish a missed opportunity for lawful enforcement, officials should explain the decision and address the failure.
Victims and their families deserve that seriousness.
What Should Congress Do About Sanctuary Restrictions?
Secure America Now urges Congress to pursue enforceable reforms that strengthen immigration enforcement while respecting constitutional requirements.
Those reforms should support timely release notifications, clear procedures for lawful custody transfers, and adequate resources to carry out final removal orders when legally executable.
Congress should also demand transparency. Communities should be able to understand how agencies handle immigration requests, why transfers do not occur, and whether policy restrictions or operational failures contributed.
Federal efforts to require state and local participation face constitutional limits, including restrictions on compelling states to administer federal programs. Effective legislation must account for those limits so reforms can withstand legal scrutiny.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a sanctuary policy stop every form of cooperation with ICE?
Not necessarily. Policies differ, and restrictions on civil immigration enforcement do not always prohibit cooperation in criminal investigations. The jurisdiction’s specific rules matter.
Is an ICE detainer a deportation order?
No. A detainer concerns notification and custody. It does not itself constitute a final order of removal.
What does Secure America Now support?
Ending sanctuary restrictions that obstruct lawful ICE cooperation, strengthening immigration enforcement, and holding public officials accountable for documented failures.
Tell Congress: End Sanctuary Restrictions
Our immigration laws deserve meaningful enforcement. Our communities deserve agencies that can communicate and coordinate lawfully.
Tell Congress to end sanctuary restrictions that obstruct ICE cooperation and put public safety first.
