The Department of Homeland Security has named the cities of Providence and Central Falls and the state of Rhode Island among a list of sanctuary jurisdictions that are “deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws and endangering American citizens.”
According to a May 29 DHS press release announcing the publication of the list, these jurisdictions will receive a formal notice of their non-compliance and must immediately review and revise their policies “to align with federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.”
As of Tuesday evening, Providence and Central Falls had not been formally notified of non-compliance, according to spokespeople for Providence mayor Brett Smiley and Central Falls mayor Maria Rivera.
The list was published in accordance with an April 28 executive order by the Trump administration calling for the publication of a comprehensive list of all state and local sanctuary jurisdictions. According to the executive order, if the jurisdictions do not revise their policies, they may be subject to suspension or termination of federal funding, alongside other legal consequences.
In an email to The Herald, a DHS spokesperson noted that the list was compiled based on several factors, including self-identification, compliance with federal law enforcement and existing legal protections for unauthorized immigrants.
The DHS spokesperson wrote to The Herald that the list will be reviewed and updated regularly. But on June 1, the DHS took down the list from their website in response to widespread criticism and alleged inaccuracies, according to AP News.
According to the DHS website, the state of Rhode Island itself was also deemed a sanctuary jurisdiction because of a “Court Order Requiring State Sanctuary Requirements.” The DHS spokesperson did not specify which court order this is in reference to.
In 2020, Providence and Central Falls won a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration’s Department of Justice over policies that would have mandated recipients of federal justice funding to act as “agents of immigration,” Rivera wrote in an email to The Herald.
“We’re focused on keeping our community safe,” Rivera added.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) criticized the Trump administration in a post on Threads, noting that the state does comply with federal agents “when they have a warrant.”
“Providence’s policy remains fully compliant with federal law and does not violate any federal regulations,” Smiley wrote in a statement to The Herald. “Providence remains committed to being a safe and welcoming city for all.”
Smiley affirmed that the city “will not proactively collaborate with (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to provide information” — a sentiment echoed by other state officials earlier this year, The Herald previously reported. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have since been active in cities across the state.
“These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in the press release. “Sanctuary politicians are on notice: comply with federal law.”
This story has been updated with comment from Mayor Brett Smiley and the City of Providence.
Megan is a metro editor covering health and environment. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she spends her free time drinking coffee and wishing she was Meg Ryan in a Nora Ephron movie.
