The removal of an executive order and list of alleged “sanctuary jurisdictions” published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that included Rhode Island, Central Falls and Providence has left state and local officials in limbo about the possible implications of the designation.
On May 29, President Donald Trump issued an executive order naming Rhode Island, Providence and Central Falls as jurisdictions the administration said are obstructing federal immigration law.
But as of June 4, neither Rhode Island officials, nor officials with the two cities had received formal notice of the order, according to spokespeople.
Why was the sanctuary city executive order taken down?
Days after the order was issued, on May 31, National Sheriffs’ Association President Sheriff Kieran Donahue, a Trump supporter, released a statement faulting the list as lacking transparency and accountability, and undermining cooperation.
“This list was created without any input, criteria of compliance, or a mechanism for how to object to the designation. Sheriffs nationwide have no way to know what they must do or not do to avoid this arbitrary label. The completion and publication of this list has not only violated the core principles of trust, cooperation, and partnership with fellow law enforcement, but it also has the potential to strain the relationship between sheriffs and the White House administration,” the statement reads.
“This is an unfortunate and unnecessary erosion of unity and collaboration with law enforcement and the enforcement of the rule of law at a time when that unity is needed most,” it continued.
Spokespeople for Homeland Security did not respond to multiple inquiries about the designations and specifics about the underlying policy.
What did the sanctuary jurisdiction order say?
The order alleged that the jurisdictions on the list “are deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws endangering American communities. Sanctuary cities protect dangerous criminal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in peril.”
The order stated that the cities, towns and states would receive “formal notification of its non-compliance with federal statutes” and will need to “immediately” review and revise their policies to comply with “federal immigration laws.”
The order also states that the jurisdictions identified must “renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.”
In addition, the order stated that the list could be changed and updated “at any time” and that “no one should act on this information without conducting their own evaluation of the information.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Trump’s ‘sanctuary city’ order disappeared, leaving RI officials in limbo