Urbana and St. Joe Identified on DHS 'Sanctuary Jurisdictions' List

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ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Recently, the Department of Homeland Security released a list highlighting “sanctuary jurisdictions.” However, this list has since been taken down from the DHS website. Officials from the affected areas have varying views on the potential impact this list may have on their communities.

The list included various cities, counties, and states nationwide, which according to the Trump Administration, are hindering government deportation efforts. This action followed the signing of Executive Order 14287 on April 28, which mandated the compilation of states and local areas that “obstruct the enforcement of Federal immigration laws.”

According to the Executive Order, these jurisdictions would be informed of their “defiance of Federal immigration law enforcement and any potential violations of Federal criminal law.” Additionally, the Office of Management and Budget would use this list to pinpoint federal funding in these sanctuary areas that might be at risk of being suspended or cut off.

The list was published May 29, but as of May 31, a “Page Not Found” message appeared instead. While the list was only publicly up on the DHS’ website for a short time, Illinois cities and counties that were named took notice.

Seven cities in Illinois appeared on the list, including Urbana and St. Joseph.

WCIA reached out to both Urbana’s Mayor, DeShawn Williams, and St. Joseph’s Mayor, Jim Page.

Williams said Urbana has been a Sanctuary City for nearly 40 years –and they don’t plan on changing that.

“Urbana will not be bullied. We have been a Sanctuary City since 1986, and we reaffirmed that commitment in 2016 because we believe in human dignity, community safety, and equal protection for everyone who calls Urbana home,” Williams said in a statement sent to WCIA. “When cities like ours face federal threats or funding pressure for standing by these values, it’s not just a matter of policy —it’s a matter of principle and moral responsibility.”

Page did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

WCIA’s sister station WGN reported that only six of Illinois’ 102 counties were not included on the DHS’ list.

Effingham County was among the 102 counties named. Joshua Douthit, Board Chairman of Effingham County, shared a statement in response to the DHS placing Effingham County on the list of “Sanctuary Jurisdictions.”

“Effingham County remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the safety and security of our residents. While recent DHS reports have categorized our county as a ‘sanctuary jurisdiction,’ we want to unequivocally affirm that Effingham County supports legal immigration and fully endorses the federal enforcement efforts of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency,” Douthit said.

Douthit added that the county made it clear that they are not a sanctuary county by adopting resolution 24-13, and said they will not spend tax dollars on the “immigration crisis.”

“Effingham County welcomes those who seek to enter and remain in the United States through legal means and values the contributions of immigrants who comply with the laws governing our nation. We will continue to follow all legal guidelines regarding our ability to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration issues in the interest of public safety, legal integrity, and the well-being of our residents,” Douthit said.

WCIA reached out to the DHS to find out how each city or county was chosen for the list, what appearing on the list might mean for those whose names were originally included, and why the list was removed. The DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Other counties included in the list: