What if the so-called “compassionate” policies designed to protect vulnerable immigrants were actually the very mechanisms fueling chaos, crime, and exploitation across our nation? That’s the uncomfortable truth I’ve come to after years of digging into America’s immigration debacle. In this first installment of my multi-part series, I’ll lay out my central thesis: Sanctuary cities are not benevolent safe havens—they are the root cause of our dysfunctional immigration system.
These self-declared “law-free zones” undermine federal authority, attract illegal crossings like magnets, overload public resources, and block essential deportations. Worse yet, both political parties share the blame for allowing this mess to fester over decades. By the end of this series, I’ll connect the dots on how sanctuary policies exacerbate economic strains, spike crime rates, flood our streets with drugs, and even enable the horrific trafficking of migrants—often women and children—for sex and labor exploitation.
But let’s start at the foundation: What exactly are sanctuary cities, and why do they represent such a profound failure?
Defining Sanctuary Cities: Jurisdictions That Choose Defiance Over Law
At their core, sanctuary cities—or more broadly, sanctuary jurisdictions—are local governments that deliberately limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agencies, primarily U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to federal definitions outlined in sources like the Congressional Research Service, these are places where local law enforcement refuses to honor ICE detainers, share information about arrested individuals’ immigration status, or otherwise assist in deporting those who are in the country illegally. This isn’t just a passive stance; it’s an active policy choice that creates pockets of immunity from national immigration laws.
The term “sanctuary” evokes images of refuge and protection, but in practice, these policies turn cities, counties, and even entire states into de facto law-free zones for illegal immigrants. For instance, under federal law—such as Section 1373 of the Immigration and Nationality Act—localities are prohibited from restricting communication with ICE about citizenship or immigration status. Yet, sanctuary jurisdictions flout this by enacting ordinances that prevent police from inquiring about immigration status during routine stops or honoring detainer requests, which are essentially holds on suspects for up to 48 hours to allow ICE to take custody.This defiance isn’t accidental. It’s codified in local laws.
Take San Francisco, one of the pioneers: Its 1989 ordinance prohibits city employees from assisting ICE unless required by a warrant. Today, similar policies exist in places like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and even entire states such as California and Illinois. The result? Criminals who should be deported are released back into communities, free to reoffend, while the promise of non-enforcement draws more illegal crossings, perpetuating a vicious cycle.
From Humble Beginnings to a Nationwide Epidemic
Sanctuary policies didn’t emerge overnight. They started small in the 1980s as a grassroots response to Central American refugees fleeing civil wars, with churches offering “sanctuary” against deportation under the Reagan administration. What began as a humanitarian gesture quickly evolved into formal local policies. By the 1990s, cities like San Francisco and New York had institutionalized them, arguing that non-cooperation builds trust with immigrant communities and encourages crime reporting.
But here’s where it exploded: Over the decades, these policies proliferated amid federal inaction. According to a 2025 report from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the number of sanctuary jurisdictions in the U.S. has surged to at least 1,003—an alarming increase driven by progressive activism and political posturing. Other estimates vary; the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) map, updated in November 2025, lists hundreds, while a DHS list from May 2025 identified nearly 400 counties as non-cooperative. Regardless of the exact count, we’re talking about over 600-1,000 jurisdictions nationwide that actively resist federal immigration enforcement.
This expansion has enabled an estimated 14 million unauthorized immigrants to reside in the U.S. as of 2023, per Pew Research Center data, with numbers swelling by 3.5 million from 2021 to 2023 alone due to policy laxity. While recent efforts under the current administration have led to over 2.5 million departures or deportations in 2025 (as reported by DHS), the damage from prior years lingers. Sanctuary policies act as beacons, signaling to potential crossers: “Come here, and you’ll be shielded.” This isn’t speculation—it’s evident in the data tying sanctuary status to higher illegal resident populations.
Tying It to the Current Crisis: Biden’s Record Crossings and Decades of Inaction
The immigration crisis we face today didn’t start with any one president, but it reached fever pitch under the Biden administration. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data shows over 10.3 million nationwide encounters at the southern border from fiscal year 2021 to 2024—shattering previous records. That’s more than 7.8 million illegal crossings plus at least 1.5 million “gotaways” who evaded capture. Monthly peaks hit 300,000+ in late 2023, overwhelming border facilities and funneling migrants into sanctuary havens. Yet, the roots run deeper than Biden’s term.
Decades of bipartisan neglect allowed sanctuaries to thrive. Republicans and Democrats alike have funded these jurisdictions through federal grants, avoiding tough enforcement for fear of alienating voters or donors. Under Clinton, the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act aimed to crack down but left loopholes for local resistance. Bush’s post-9/11 reforms focused on security but ignored growing sanctuaries. Obama deported millions yet expanded protections like DACA, which indirectly bolstered non-cooperation. Trump targeted sanctuaries with funding threats but faced court blocks and incomplete follow-through. Biden reversed many restrictions, leading to the surge, but the new administration in 2025 has ramped up deportations—yet sanctuaries persist as obstacles.
The human cost
Look no further than ICE’s own data. In a December 2025 report, DHS highlighted how New York’s sanctuary policies alone resulted in the release of 6,947 criminal illegal aliens since January 2025, including murderers, rapists, and drug traffickers. Nationally, ICE operations in late 2025 arrested thousands with criminal histories, but many had been previously released by non-cooperative jurisdictions. A New York Times analysis from December 2025 noted that while over half of recent ICE arrests involved no prior convictions, the flip side is that tens of thousands with serious records roam free due to sanctuary releases. ICE’s “Operation Angels Honor” in December 2025 netted hundreds with violent offenses, underscoring how these policies block deportations and endanger citizens.
Previewing the Harms: A Multi-Layered Disaster
If sanctuary cities were truly about compassion, they’d protect everyone— but they don’t. They create overload: Schools, hospitals, and welfare systems buckle under the influx, costing billions. In economic terms, they depress wages for low-skilled Americans and drain resources through uncompensated care. Crime spikes follow; studies show higher recidivism in sanctuaries where deportable offenders are released. Drugs pour in via cartel networks exploiting these safe zones—fentanyl alone killed over 100,000 Americans annually at peak crisis levels. And the migrants themselves? Many end up trafficked, with 70% facing exploitation en route or upon arrival, per human rights reports. This isn’t just hurting American cities—it’s a betrayal of the immigrants lured by false promises.
Orwellian doublespeak reframes “illegal” as “undocumented” or “newcomers,” masking the reality: These policies noble-wash law-breaking while ignoring victims on both sides
The benevolent word “sanctuary” is itself the perfect manipulation of an act that is neither a sanctuary for the immigrants nor for the citizens who are harmed in numerous ways – low paying jobs, increased drugs and crime, flooding healthcare and social services, etc. This Bipartisan blame is clear: Democrats defend sanctuaries as “welcoming,” prioritizing identity politics over safety. Republicans rail against them but often fail to defund or legislate effectively, caving to business lobbies wanting cheap labor. Neither party has mustered the will for comprehensive reform, leaving us with a patchwork of defiance.
Moving Forward: Why This Series Matters
My thesis is straightforward: End sanctuary cities, and you strike at the root of the immigration crisis. In upcoming posts, I’ll dive into the historical origins (Part 2), bipartisan culpability (Part 3), the manipulative language of doublespeak (Part 4), and the specific harms—economic (Part 5), crime (Part 6), drugs (Part 7), and trafficking (Part 8). We’ll examine modern battles (Part 9) and propose solutions (Part 10). America deserves borders that work, laws that are enforced, and policies that protect all people. Sanctuary cities subvert that. Share this if you’re ready for real change. Comments welcome—let’s discuss.
Sources and Further Reading:
- Congressional Research Service, ““Sanctuary” Jurisdictions: Legal Overview” (September 15, 2025) – congress.gov.
- Federation for American Immigration Reform, “New FAIR Report Identifies Over 1,000 Sanctuary Jurisdictions” (June 9, 2025).
- Center for Immigration Studies, “Map: Sanctuary Cities, Counties, and States” (Updated November 20, 2025).
- Pew Research Center, “Record 14 Million Unauthorized Immigrants Lived in the US in 2023” (August 21, 2025).
- Department of Homeland Security, “Sanctuary New York Released Nearly 7,000 Criminal Illegal Aliens” (December 1, 2025).
- House Committee on Homeland Security, “Biden and Harris’ Border Crisis Still Wreaking Havoc” (September 23, 2024) – for historical context on encounters.
- ICE, “14-day nationwide ICE operation in honor of Laken Riley” (December 22, 2025).