Executive Orders and Agency Memorandums/Directives
The Trump Administration has issued many Executive Orders and agency memoranda attacking immigrants and particularly those who defend them. These policies target sanctuary jurisdictions for defunding, prosecuting elected officials, and suing over local policies.
Additional memos expand immigration enforcement powers to other branches of DHS and DOJ, prioritize federal criminal prosecutions related to immigration, by demanding a published list of sanctuary jurisdictions, imposing coercive funding conditions of cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, threatening criminal and civil action, and enlisting federal and local law enforcement agencies in their efforts to carry out federal immigration enforcement.
Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has delegated their immigration enforcement powers to other federal agencies that have diverted their vast resources away from important investigative work to immigration enforcement.
Federal Litigation Between the U.S. Government and Sanctuary Jurisdictions
The Trump Administration has repeatedly announced its intention to sue sanctuary jurisdiction over their policies. In return, states and localities have sued the Trump administration for withholding federal funds from them.
Most of these lawsuits make similar legal claims, alleging that the laws of the state or local government violate the Supremacy Clause and the federal statute 8 USC 1373. To learn more about 8 USC 1373, see ILRC, 8 USC 1373 What Does it Mean for Sanctuary Jurisdiction?
Additionally, sanctuary jurisdictions have initiated lawsuits against the federal government for conditioning their funding on cooperation with federal immigration enforcement or for unlawfully federalizing and deploying the National Guard.
Large Scale Raids
The Trump Administration has deployed thousands of federal agents to conduct large scale immigration raids. In several places, this has involved sending, or attempting to send, National Guard troops. In others, the majority of agents have been from CBP and ICE, accompanied by other units from DHS and DOJ. These include HSI, FBI, ATF, DEA, United States Park Police.
Political Arrests and Prosecutions
The Trump Administration has sought to punish many of its opponents with federal prosecutions and/or deportation.