NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening to cut federal funding and prosecute officials in cities that don’t cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Many communities have laws, often called sanctuary laws, that prevent law enforcement from cooperating beyond what’s legally required. Since April, “sanctuary” cities have faced escalating challenges to their autonomy and the loss of billions in federal funds. Local leaders defend the laws and say the federal government’s efforts are destroying community trust built up over decades.

The conflict is playing out in courtrooms, with lawsuits that could establish precedents extending far beyond immigration, and in the streets, where aggressive immigration enforcement is now being supported by National Guard or other military troops in a growing number of cities.  

The articles in this special issue document this confrontation between federal and local authority.

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