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Following the allegedly shooting and death of a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer earlier this month by two criminal and illegal immigrants, experts are paying attention to how sanctuary policies protect law violations directly liable for increased crime and violence in democratically operated jurisdictions.
But California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office opposed the notion that sanctuary policies are responsible, and spokesman called it “fake news,” and tried to justify “their cruel and militaristic actions” by the Trump administration.
This comes after two illegal immigrants, Miguel Francisco Mora Nuñez and Christian Aver Berroa, were arrested in connection with an off-duty CBP officer shot in the face at a New York City park. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), both illegals had long criminal records and some ice detainees against them, who were ignored by New York City officials.
Last week, the Trump Department of Justice announced it was suing New York City over its long-standing sanctuary policy. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York, nominates New York City Mayor Eric Adams and several other city officials as defendants. The lawsuit alleges that the city enacted a policy with the intention of blocking the federal government’s ability to enforce immigration laws.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office called a relationship between Sanctuary Policies and Rising Crime “Fake News.” (Getty Images and AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Former New York City Council member Joe Borelli told Fox News Digital that Sanctuary Policies “clearly” reduced safety in many of America’s major cities.
“We have spent about ten years experimenting with this ‘sanctuary city’ in a democratically operated city, and after that it can be clearly said that it is a net loss. That’s polite,” Borelli said.
“In reality, it emits financial resources from American cities and states, and clearly reduced the safety of the area, particularly the home of our legal immigrant communities,” he added.
Former immigration judge and policy expert at the Center for Immigration Studies, Andrew Arthur told Fox News Digital that the ongoing criminality of individuals, such as the two suspects in New York, is a “direct result of sanctuary policy.”
He said the suspect in the New York shooting “has been arrested in large numbers of prior arrests, one of which could result in ice arrests and deportation from the United States.”
“But they weren’t because it mostly happened in the sanctuary jurisdictions where the ice had not cooperated with local governments,” he explained.
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Christian Ebal Velour and Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez on the left were arrested in July 2025 in connection with the shooting of an outlying CBP officer at a New York City park. Both men had previous criminal records and ice detainees who were not respected by local officials. (Ministry of Homeland Security)
“The argument made is that these policies are needed to protect immigrant communities, but the only sanctuary policies actually protect criminals,” he said. “Regions such as California, Los Angeles, Denver, Boston, Massachusetts, New York and New York City have sanctuary jurisdictions, making it much more likely that criminals will be released on the streets.”
Lora Ries, a border guard and immigration expert at the Heritage Foundation, predicted that if sanctuary policies continue, “there will be more preventable crimes and more casualties that shouldn’t be victims.”
“It was not only a threat to national security, it was a threat to personal security,” she said.
Reese pointed out that it is a sanctuary policy that will allow criminal offences to avoid ice, despite Democrats’ claims that Trump’s immigration crackdown is unpopular.
Since 2015, the majority of Americans have generally supported the deportation of illegal immigrants. The latest Fox News survey released Monday revealed about eight in 10 Democrats, six in 10 independents and four in 10 Republicans, agreeing that at least illegal immigrants charged with crimes should be deported, while others should be offered a way to stay.
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R-Colo. Rep. Gabe Evans of the group says Sanctuary Policies has accused Colorado of making it one of the nation’s most dangerous states, enabling criminal cartels and human traffickers. (RJ Sangosti/Medianews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
R-Colo, which includes part of Denver. Rep. Gabe Evans, of the group, told Fox News Digital that Conctuary Policies has made Colorado the second most dangerous state in the country.
“It’s an absolutely horrifying effect on public safety, and its horrifying effect is directly linked to the sanctuary state policy, handcuffing and red carpetting for criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua,” he explained.
“We’re talking about guns, drugs, trafficking and child abuse,” he continued. “And predators and criminals who perpetuate these acts of violence, pitch fentanyl in our community, killing Americans and Coloradans by literally thousands of people.
In addition to blocking law enforcement from above, Evans added that the Sanctuary policy “can send a message to other outside groups to interfere with law enforcement officials and sometimes fully attack them.”
Homeland Security Director Tricia McLaughlin has directly held Democratic politicians accountable for sanctuary policies.
“When sanctuary politicians ignore ice detainees, they are protecting foreigners who violate crimes at the expense of American citizens,” McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.
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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu testifies before the House Oversight Committee during a hearing on the Mayor of the Sanctuary held in Washington, DC on March 5, 2025 (Anadoll via Getty Images)
“Don’t get it wrong. Democrat politicians like Hakeem Jeffries, Boston Mayor Wu, Tim Walz and Los Angeles Mayor Bass have contributed to the surge in ice officers’ assaults through repeated slandering and protesting ice. Pale.”
“These reckless policies have fatal consequences,” she added.
However, Newsom’s Office spokesman Diana Crofts-Pelayo was pushed back.
“Their claims are fake news,” Croft Perayo added, “This is the Trump team’s attempt to justify their cruel and militaristic actions against all people, including Americans, legal status holders and even US-born citizens.”
She pointed to new data released by the California Department of Justice, showing that overall crime in the state was reduced in 2024 compared to 2023. The report says the state’s violent crime rate fell by 6% in 2024. However, he said violent crime is still up 10.8% compared to 2019. Newsom took office in January 2019.
While California’s homicide rate is compared to 2019 (4.3% vs. 4.2%), the spokesman noted that it is still “the second lowest since at least 1966.”
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A Newsom spokesperson said California, which is under California governor Gavin Newsom, has left. “We continue to escape the surge in crime caused by Covid,” he said, “the Trump administration’s “radical agenda is not about safety, it’s about cruelty and quotas.” (Pool)
Crofts-Pelayo said under Newsom California “continues to escape the surge in crime caused by symbiosis,” and said the Trump administration’s “radical agenda is not about safety, it is about cruelty and allocation.”
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“Trump will detain US citizens, tear down families, and silence parents and workers into inhumane federal detention centers to meet with a massive, voluntary arrest allocation,” she said.
Fox News Digital commented on New York Mayor Eric Adams, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, House Minority Leader Hayquem Jeffries, DN.Y., Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Jared Police, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Massachusetts Masats Gob.
Victoria Balara, Louis Casiano and Landon Mion of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
Peter Pinedo is a political writer for Fox News Digital.
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