No.
There is no federal requirement mandating the involvement of local or state government in immigration enforcement, which is the responsibility of the U.S. government. Some states, like Texas, Alabama and Florida, have passed laws requiring local officials to assist with transferring unauthorized immigrants into federal custody or otherwise supporting federal enforcement. Other states and localities have laws explicitly prohibiting or limiting that type of cooperation.
A November 2024 ballot measure approved by Arizona voters made crossing the border illegally a state crime and granted immigration enforcement authority to state and local law officers—though it does not require those officers to assist ICE with arrests or raids. Enforcement of Arizona’s new law is on hold, however, as courts review the constitutionality of a similar law passed in Texas.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service, Enforcing Immigration Law: The Role of State and Local Law Enforcement
- Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Office of the Attorney General, Setting the Record Straight On Local Involvement In Federal Civil Immigration Enforcement: The Facts and The Laws
- American Immigration Council, Sanctuary Policies: An Overview
- National Immigrant Justice Center, Disentangling Local Law Enforcement from Federal Immigration Enforcement
- Immigrant Legal Resource Center, The Rise of Sanctuary
- National Immigration Law Center, How Governors and Attorneys General Can Use Their Authority to Support and Protect Immigrants
- National Conference of State Legislatures, Immigration Legislation Database
- Immigrant Legal Resource Center, State Map on Immigration Enforcement 2024
- Justia, Alabama – Illegal Immigration. Section 31-13-5 – Enforcement of and Compliance With Federal Immigration Laws; Information Relating to Immigration Status; Violations; Penalties.
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Delegation of Immigration Authority Section 287(g) Immigration and Nationality Act
- State of Arizona House of Representatives, House Concurrent Resolution 2060
- AZCentral Arizona police waiting to hear if immigration law is legal, financially feasible
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
