The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have issued a rare and urgent call to Governor Gavin Newsom and California officials regarding concerns about sanctuary policies and public safety, according to federal officials.
In a statement published this week, DHS and ICE described what they termed a “sanctuary calamity” in California and urged state leadership to ensure that 33,179 undocumented immigrants with active immigration detainers and criminal convictions are not released into communities without notification or cooperation with federal authorities.
The federal appeal comes amid ongoing national debate over sanctuary jurisdictions and rising tensions between state and federal authorities on immigration enforcement. California has long maintained policies limiting local and state law enforcement cooperation with ICE detainers for people who have not been convicted of serious crimes, a point of contention for federal immigration officials pushing for broader enforcement.
The latest DHS statement coincides with broader federal immigration enforcement operations in California, where authorities have arrested thousands of illegal aliens, including convictions for serious and violent crimes, during the past year. Federal officials said these actions continued despite pushback and large demonstrations in parts of Los Angeles and other communities.
Governor Newsom’s office has pushed back against some federal claims, calling certain figures and interpretations inaccurate and vowing that California’s prison system cooperates with ICE on serious and violent offenders under state law. State officials have also sought to clarify the scope of cooperation and reinforce that legal safeguards remain in place.
The confrontation highlights the broader national struggle over immigration policy, sanctuary jurisdictions, and how federal law enforcement works with state and local governments. California’s sanctuary policies remain a flashpoint that federal leaders say undermines public safety and federal enforcement priorities.
As the debate continues, legal and political battles over enforcement, detention policies, and the release of detained individuals are likely to intensify ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and beyond.
What DHS and ICE are calling for:
- Federal officials want state authorities to honor ICE detainers for individuals with criminal convictions and avoid releasing them without notification.
- Federal leadership says state sanctuary policies could lead to public safety risks and hamper coordinated immigration enforcement.
This is a developing story, and updates are expected as California officials respond and federal and state positions continue to evolve.
