The federal government offers funds to assist law enforcement in 300 states and localities, even though these jurisdictions have sanctuary policies that prevent cooperation with federal immigration law enforcement. According to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), “These policies include refusing ICE detainers, imposing unreasonable conditions on detainer acceptance, denying ICE access to interview incarcerated aliens, or prohibiting local officials from communicating with federal immigration officers.”
Some of these restrictions on cooperation are in clear violation of federal law, specifically 8 USC 1373 and 1644. That statute, CIS notes, “prohibits state or local governments from restricting communication with federal immigration authorities about a person’s immigration status.”
Three primary federal programs for dispersing law enforcement assistance are: the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). In 2023 these programs granted a total of $1.56 billion to sanctuary jurisdictions.
Read more at cis.org