(José Niño, Headline USA) Over a two-year period, sanctuary policies in dozens of states led to the release of more than 25,000 individuals flagged by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to newly obtained federal records.
Jessica M. Vaughan, the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, highlighted in a post titled “Which Sanctuary Jurisdictions Have Released the Most Criminals?” that sanctuary jurisdictions often declined to transfer custody of deportable individuals in their jails to ICE.
Between October 1, 2022, and February 6, 2025, these facilities declined over 25,000 ICE detainer requests, and in more than 1,400 cases, they did not provide ICE with sufficient notice to assume custody.
A detainer request is a formal notice issued by ICE to state or local law enforcement agencies, asking them to temporarily hold an individual who is already in custody beyond their scheduled release time. This allows ICE to assume custody for potential deportation proceedings.
The data reveals that California led the nation in declined immigration detainers, accounting for 52 percent of all cases, with 13,025 instances — more than any other state. Other states with notably high numbers of declined detainers included Illinois, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Overall, jails in 46 states, along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands, declined detainers, even in jurisdictions where sanctuary policies are legally restricted.
Santa Clara County’s main jail in California topped the list, releasing nearly 3,000 individuals due to declined detainers or lack of notification. Cook County Jail in Illinois and Fairfax County Adult Detention Center in Virginia also released over 1,000 individuals each.
Most strikingly, the report found that 72 individuals with homicide charges or convictions were released during the period. Among the facilities involved, the Illinois River Corrections Center and Santa Clara County jails each released six convicted killers, while Stateville Correctional Center in Illinois released five.
A comprehensive map and additional details on active sanctuary cities and states and their policies can be found here.
As the debate over sanctuary policies continues, these findings highlight the ongoing challenges faced by federal immigration authorities nationwide.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
