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The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has taken down a list of "sanctuary" states, cities, and counties from its website after facing significant backlash from a prominent sheriffs' group. The National Sheriffs' Association, representing over 3,000 elected sheriffs nationwide, condemned the list, saying it could harm the relationship between the Trump administration and law enforcement.

On Thursday, DHS had published what it referred to as a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, indicating areas with policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. This sparked a response from the National Sheriffs' Association. Sheriff Kieran Donahue, the association's president, criticized the move, stating that the list lacked transparency and accountability. Donahue emphasized that the list had been compiled without any input from sheriffs, violating principles of trust and cooperation within law enforcement.

President Donald Trump had previously called for the administration to identify and list sanctuary jurisdictions. He argued that a lack of cooperation with federal immigration enforcement amounted to "a lawless insurrection," as per a late April executive order.

The list's removal was noted on Sunday by Fox News host Maria Bartiromo during an interview with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on the talk show Sunday Morning Futures. When asked about the missing list, Noem pointed out that several localities had reacted negatively to being labeled as sanctuary jurisdictions. Noem affirmed that these places did qualify as sanctuary jurisdictions despite lacking certain laws, as they were still providing sanctuary to criminals.

City leaders from various regions, including southern California, Colorado, and Massachusetts, publicly questioned the sanctuary label within the week. San Diego's city attorney, Heather Ferbert, mentioned that San Diego had never adopted sanctuary policies and suggested the move was politically motivated. She indicated concerns that the federal government might use the label to threaten the city’s funding.

Supporters of sanctuary policies, including immigrant advocates and some Democratic lawmakers, argue that such policies foster trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement, encouraging residents to report crimes. During a hearing in March before a US House of Representatives committee, mayors from major cities like Boston, Chicago, Denver, and New York City defended sanctuary policies, claiming they enhance city safety while ensuring they honor criminal arrest warrants.

Despite the controversy, Secretary Noem, aligning with Trump's stringent anti-immigration stance, asserted that DHS would persist in using the sanctuary tally. DHS has not yet issued an official comment on the list's removal. However, the internet archive website Wayback Machine indicated the list was still available online as of Saturday.