Rise in Homicide Convictions Among Released Criminal Aliens Due to Sanctuary Jurisdictions

more than 25,000 detainer requests have been rejected by various sanctuary jurisdictions across the country. As a consequence, 72 individuals with homicide charges or convictions were able to leave jails between October 2022 and February 2025, despite holding ICE detainers.

The data highlights significant hot spots for these releases, particularly three detention facilities in Illinois and California, where the majority of the situations occurred. The Illinois River Corrections Center, Santa Clara County jail, and Stateville Correctional Center accounted for the bulk of the released individuals, with Santa Clara's main jail alone responsible for approximately 3,000 declined detainers.

The ongoing debate around sanctuary jurisdictions has gained momentum, especially in light of President Trump's statements regarding potential federal interventions. He has openly criticized these areas for allegedly protecting criminals rather than victims, even suggesting withholding federal funds from cities that maintain such policies. The statistics, particularly the portion of declined detainers coming from California—which accounted for 52%—have sparked outrage and calls for action among various political figures and community members who are concerned about public safety.

Moreover, states like Illinois, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Connecticut have also shown significant rates of declined detainers. While Illinois, Massachusetts, and Connecticut are recognized as sanctuary states, Virginia's situation is more complex due to various localized policies. Observers, like Alfonso Aguilar from the American Principles Project, have expressed shock at California's substantial non-compliance and indicated that local officials need to account for their decisions affecting public safety.