Los Angeles City Council meeting in which audience members hold up signs supporting a sanctuary city measure Sanctuary cities typically enact protective measures to prevent undocumented immigrants from being targeted and deported by law enforcement officials. (more) sanctuary city Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/sanctuary-city Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Michele Metych Michele has a B.A. in English from Southeast Missouri State University and an M.A. from DePaul University. She's a Chicago girl at heart, but she still misses living in a place with farms. When she's not... Michele Metych Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Feb 26, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is a sanctuary city in the United States? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "A sanctuary city in the United States is a municipality that limits local enforcement of federal immigration laws to protect undocumented immigrants. Policies can be codified or a de facto practice, and there are more than 200 such jurisdictions in the United States." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What historical event led to the association of sanctuary cities with immigration? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Sanctuary cities became associated with immigration in the 1980s, when immigrants fleeing civil wars in Guatemala and El Salvador arrived in the United States. The government classified them as economic migrants rather than refugees, leading local governments to offer them protection." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What policies do sanctuary cities typically implement? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Sanctuary cities typically implement policies such as making multiple types of identification available to immigrants, offering U-visas to victims of crime, and prohibiting police from making arrests based solely on immigration status. They also can choose not to share immigration data with the federal government." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did U.S. Pres. Donald Trumpu2019s administration respond to sanctuary cities during his second term? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "U.S. Pres. Donald Trumpu2019s administration opposed sanctuary cities, and raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement occurred in cities such as Chicago and New York City in 2025. That same year the Department of Justice sued jurisdictions with immigration-friendly policies, and Trump instructed the withholding of federal funding from sanctuary cities." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What are some criticisms and defenses of sanctuary cities? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Critics highlight violent crimes by undocumented immigrants, while defenders note that sanctuary cities do not have increased crime rates and correlate with higher incomes and lower poverty rates." } } ] } Top Questions What is a sanctuary city in the United States? A sanctuary city in the United States is a municipality that limits local enforcement of federal immigration laws to protect undocumented immigrants. Policies can be codified or a de facto practice, and there are more than 200 such jurisdictions in the United States.

　　What historical event led to the association of sanctuary cities with immigration? Sanctuary cities became associated with immigration in the 1980s, when immigrants fleeing civil wars in Guatemala and El Salvador arrived in the United States. The government classified them as economic migrants rather than refugees, leading local governments to offer them protection.

　　What policies do sanctuary cities typically implement? Sanctuary cities typically implement policies such as making multiple types of identification available to immigrants, offering U-visas to victims of crime, and prohibiting police from making arrests based solely on immigration status. They also can choose not to share immigration data with the federal government.

　　How did U.S. Pres. Donald Trump’s administration respond to sanctuary cities during his second term? U.S. Pres. Donald Trump’s administration opposed sanctuary cities, and raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement occurred in cities such as Chicago and New York City in 2025. That same year the Department of Justice sued jurisdictions with immigration-friendly policies, and Trump instructed the withholding of federal funding from sanctuary cities.

　　What are some criticisms and defenses of sanctuary cities? Critics highlight violent crimes by undocumented immigrants, while defenders note that sanctuary cities do not have increased crime rates and correlate with higher incomes and lower poverty rates.

　　sanctuary city, municipality in the United States that limits local enforcement of federal immigration laws to protect undocumented immigrants. Such policies are established at a city, state, or county level and may be formally enforced or a de facto practice. Although there is no official definition of a sanctuary city, such cities typically enact one or more immigration-inclusive policies. There are more than 200 sanctuary jurisdictions (including cities, counties, and states) in the United States; New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago are the largest sanctuary cities. Sanctuary cities are politically contentious, and their existence often leads to debates on ...(100 of 1048 words)

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