Trump Administration Marks Albuquerque as a Sanctuary Jurisdiction

Albuquerque –

Its official, today, the Justice Department published a list of states, cities, and counties identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws.

On the very top of the list is our beloved Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country.”

Currently, the City of Albuquerque has a resolution in place to definitely not cooperate with ICE raids, detentions, or information sharing related to immigration status.

In a July 21st, 2025 e-mail regarding the signing of a City executive order protecting illegal immigrants, Mayor Keller said:

“From day one, I made it clear that we will not be intimidated by harmful federal policies—and we’ve never wavered from our commitment to civil rights and public safety,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “This Executive Order makes it clear that we will not stand by silently as our neighbors and friends are living in fear, and we will protect due process for all people living in our City. Albuquerque is a community rooted in diversity and strength, and we will not use our resources to support raids, detentions, or information-sharing that we are not legally required to do.”

Mayor Tim Keller has not sent an email about how the City of Albuquerque will fight the designation in federal court.

President Donald Trump has said in speeches that he would approve the arrest of government officials who would prevent federal law enforcement from doing immigration enforcement. It is unclear if the Keller administration could be among the first arrested.