The U.S. Department of Justice has republished and revised a list of "sanctuary jurisdictions" — this time naming only one city in Michigan: East Lansing. The list also includes more than a dozen states, four counties, and 17 other cities nationwide.
The DOJ has not provided a clear explanation for the list's return. It had been taken down two months ago after backlash from groups including the National Sheriffs' Association. The previous list, issued by the Department of Homeland Security in May, identified hundreds of jurisdictions including East Lansing, Ann Arbor and several Michigan counties.
All of the other Michigan communities are no longer included in the current update.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement that her department "will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country."
The DOJ said it has already filed lawsuits against several jurisdictions and claims that, following legal threats, the mayor of Louisville agreed to end the city's sanctuary status.
The East Lansing City Council voted in 2023 to declare itself a sanctuary city. The measure states city police will not assist federal authorities who are working solely to enforce immigration law.
According to the federal Justice Department, jurisdictions may be classified as sanctuary areas if they restrict federal immigration funding, limit ICE detainer cooperation, or establish offices to assist undocumented residents.
WKAR reached out to the city of East Lansing for comment but has not yet received a response.
Below is the full DOJ list of states, cities, and counties it's identified as sanctuary jurisdictions as of August 5, 2025:
STATES:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
COUNTIES:
- Baltimore County, MD
- Cook County, IL
- San Diego County, CA
- San Francisco County, CA
CITIES:
- Albuquerque, NM
- Berkeley, CA
- Boston, MA
- Chicago, IL
- Denver, CO
- East Lansing, MI
- Hoboken, NJ
- Jersey City, NJ
- Los Angeles, CA
- New Orleans, LA
- New York City, NY
- Newark, NJ
- Paterson, NJ
- Philadelphia, PA
- Portland, OR
- Rochester, NY
- Seattle, WA
- San Francisco City, CA
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