What do Minnesota, California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, and New York have in common? They all have mayors and governors demanding an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in their jurisdictions. But what else do they have in common?
Three guesses and the first two don't count.
All of the above and others have declared themselves "sanctuary" jurisdictions. They refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, including when illegal aliens get arrested for serious crimes. Rather than alert ICE, they release the offenders back into their communities, requiring ICE to find them in order to enforce detainers and deportation orders. These jurisdictions refuse to cooperate on those operations too, and in recent weeks have refused to even provide normal security for federal law enforcement. Local and state leaders then encourage their citizens to interfere in these operations, putting everyone at higher risk.
That is why more than two-thirds of violent encounters in ICE operations take place in just nine counties:
I am horrified. I cannot believe it.
— Kevin Bass (@kevinnbass) January 26, 2026
I analyzed public databases and media reporting on violent confrontations with ICE over the past year.
Just 9 counties accounted for TWO-THIRDS of violent confrontations with ICE in America.
This is twice all violent confrontations in the… pic.twitter.com/PuQuntgtGF
This is twice all violent confrontations in the remaining 3,134 counties COMBINED. A violent confrontation in these 9 counties was 590 TIMES more likely than any of these other 3,134 counties. 590 times. I plotted these 9 counties, and I found that all 9 counties are sanctuary jurisdictions run by Democrat politicians that resist immigration law enforcement. These violent confrontations are RARE in states and cities where local officials cooperate with law enforcement.
Github with all code and data reproduce or challenge the analysishttps://t.co/Tb065XPVyL
— Kevin Bass (@kevinnbass) January 26, 2026
Granted, these are among America's most populous cities, and illegal aliens would likely congregate in larger cities regardless of sanctuary policies. However, note well that the issue of violent ICE events does not appear in other larger cities in non-sanctuary jurisdictions. Dallas doesn't show up on the list, nor do Nashville, New Orleans, Atlanta, Miami or any Southern city, despite their closer proximity to the border. Notably, neither does Washington DC, where Democrats not only dominate but practically have the city to themselves.
Why? These jurisdictions cooperate with ICE. They respond to detainers and warrants, and will transfer criminal illegal aliens to federal custody when requested. When ICE has to conduct operations in those jurisdictions, the local police and state authorities cooperate with ICE and provide basic operational security when necessary without demanding protests and inciting mobs to interfere with federal law enforcement. Not only does that make those communities safer, it also makes it far more likely that criminal aliens will locate themselves in "sanctuary" jurisdictions, making those communities less safe through their crime and violence.
Donald Trump made this point again yesterday on Truth Social. The only way to de-escalate immigration enforcement in these nine jurisdictions is for state and local governments to stop obstructing federal law enforcement through "sanctuary" policies:
1. Governor Walz and Mayor Frey should turn over all Criminal Illegal Aliens that are currently incarcerated in their State Prisons and Jails to Federal Authorities, along with all Illegal Criminals with an active warrant or known Criminal History, for Immediate Deportation.
2. State and Local Law Enforcement must agree to turn over all Illegal Aliens arrested by Local Police.
3. Local Police must assist Federal Law Enforcement in apprehending and detaining Illegal Aliens who are wanted for Crimes.
4. Democrat Politicians must partner with the Federal Government to protect American Citizens in the rapid removal of all Criminal Illegal Aliens in our Country. Some Democrats, in places like Memphis, Tennessee, or Washington, D.C., have done so, resulting in safer streets for ALL.
In addition, I am hereby calling on the United States Congress to immediately pass Legislation to END Sanctuary Cities, which is the root cause of all of these problems. American Cities should be Safe Sanctuaries for Law Abiding American Citizens ONLY, not Illegal Alien Criminals who broke our Nation’s Laws.
Trump followed up moments later to emphasize that he will not back down in his efforts to fulfill his election mandate by deporting criminal illegal aliens:
During the four years of Crooked Joe Biden and Democrat failed leadership, Tens of Millions of Illegal Alien Criminals poured into our Country, including Hundreds of Thousands of Convicted Murderers, Rapists, Kidnappers, Drug Dealers, and Terrorists.
I won the Election in a Historic Landslide, and Republicans won Majorities in both the House and Senate, in large part, because we pledged to SEAL THE BORDER, which we have done, and launch the largest Mass Deportation of Illegal Alien Criminals in American History. This Deportation effort is underway, and in Republican run Cities and States, these operations are going peacefully and smoothly, because Local Law Enforcement Officers are allowed to work with their Federal counterparts. For example, in the five Republican run States of Texas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Louisiana, ICE has arrested 150,245 Criminal Illegal Aliens over the past year — with ZERO protests, riots, or chaos. Why? Because Local Police and ICE are cooperating and working together.
Meanwhile, Democrat run Sanctuary Cities and States are REFUSING to cooperate with ICE, and they are actually encouraging Leftwing Agitators to unlawfully obstruct their operations to arrest the Worst of the Worst People! By doing this, Democrats are putting Illegal Alien Criminals over Taxpaying, Law-Abiding Citizens, and they have created dangerous circumstances for EVERYONE involved. Tragically, two American Citizens have lost their lives as a result of this Democrat ensued chaos.
Sanctuary policies have been around for decades. Why did this conflict erupt now? This is the first time that the federal government has gotten serious about enforcing deportations, for one thing. And as Trump notes in the secind post, the four years of unfettered illegal immigration and dereliction of duty on national security transformed a chronic issue into an acute crisis, creating all sorts of distortions on crime, housing, economics, jobs, and education, among other areas of public policy. Voters responded to those crises by electing Trump to do something about them, and except in nine jurisdictions that refuse to accept the Supremacy Clause, his policies are working smoothly.
The root of this problem is the "sanctuary" movement. It's an illegitimate and unconstitutional arrogation of federal power by governors and mayors in very specific locations, who are invested in creating chaos and violence. It's time to hold those politicians accountable for their choices, before more of their own people get killed and/or victimized by their arrogance.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
Help us continue to report on the administration’s peace through strength foreign policy and its successes. Join Hot Air VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member