which states have sanctuary cities
Several U.S. states have laws or statewide policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and are commonly described as having “sanctuary” policies. These policies also appear in many individual cities and counties within and beyond those states.
What “sanctuary” means
- In U.S. politics, a sanctuary state or city usually means local or state agencies limit how they help federal immigration authorities (for example, restricting immigration detainer holds or information sharing beyond what law requires).
- The exact rules differ widely: some places have narrow policies focused on policing, while others extend to schools, health care, and city services.
States commonly identified as having sanctuary policies
Public lists in 2025–2026 from federal announcements and advocacy groups repeatedly single out several states as “sanctuary jurisdictions” because of their statewide laws limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Those states include:
- California.
- Colorado.
- Connecticut.
- Delaware.
- Illinois.
- Minnesota.
- Nevada.
- New York.
- Oregon.
- Rhode Island.
- Vermont.
- Washington.
In addition, the District of Columbia is also treated as a sanctuary jurisdiction in some official lists.
Examples of sanctuary cities
Within and beyond those states, many cities are described as sanctuary or “welcoming” cities in recent overviews:
- New York City, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania maintain detailed non‑cooperation or “Trust Act” style policies.
- Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington are long‑standing sanctuary or welcoming cities with updated ordinances through 2025.
- New Orleans, Louisiana and several other cities in non‑sanctuary states also appear in federal or advocacy maps of sanctuary jurisdictions.
Important caveats
- There is no single legal definition of “sanctuary city,” and different organizations maintain slightly different lists.
- Policies change frequently because of new state laws, court rulings, or federal pressure, so any list is a snapshot, not a permanent roster; checking a current map or state/city website is necessary for the latest status.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.