HARTFORD, CT — Connecticut leaders are rejecting the Trump administration’s classification of the state as a “sanctuary jurisdiction,” calling it false and politically motivated.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a list Thursday accusing Connecticut and six municipalities, including New Haven, of obstructing federal immigration enforcement.
Attorney General William Tong disputed the designation, saying, “Speaking for the State of Connecticut, that’s just not true.”
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker called the move “extortion,” accusing the Trump administration of using threats to force local police to assist with ICE deportations.
“We will be no part of it,” he said.
New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson said the department follows the state’s Trust Act, which limits cooperation with immigration detainers. “We don’t ask people their immigrant status… that’s not our job,” Jacobson said.
Governor Ned Lamont defended the state’s approach, saying the Trust Act aligns with the Constitution and supports public safety. “Nothing about this makes Connecticut a ‘sanctuary’… it makes our state one that upholds the rule of law,” Lamont said.
Republican House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora criticized the law and confirmed GOP lawmakers had asked Lamont to veto it.
“We don’t think that bill does much but poke the eye of the president,” he said.
Attorney General Tong pledged legal action if Connecticut faces federal funding cuts due to the designation.
