Feds remove online list accusing Pittsburgh, others of defying immigration law

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security list that classified Pittsburgh and Allegheny County as “sanctuary jurisdictions defying federal immigration law” has been removed from the department’s website.

DHS last week said each jurisdiction would receive formal notification of “its non-compliance with federal statutes,” but city and county officials on Monday said they never received direct communication from federal officials after being placed on the lengthy list.

President Donald Trump in April signed an executive order mandating the creation of such a list and threatening to withhold federal funding from jurisdictions that federal officials believe hinder immigration enforcement.

In a statement, the department said the list is “being constantly reviewed and can be changed at any time and will be updated regularly.”

The Associated Press reported that the list was taken offline Sunday.

The webpage displayed a “Page Not Found” message Monday afternoon.

“Designation of a sanctuary jurisdiction is based on the evaluation of numerous factors, including self-identification as a sanctuary jurisdiction, noncompliance with federal law enforcement in enforcing immigration laws, restrictions on information sharing, and legal protections for illegal aliens,” the department said.

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey has been vocal about his opposition to the Trump administration, vowing it would not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“My administration will not work with ICE,” Gainey said during a PA Press Club event in January. “We will do whatever’s necessary to make our city more welcoming. That’s what we’re built on.”

Other jurisdictions that were listed included a California municipality that sued to challenge the state’s immigration sanctuary law and declared itself a “non-sanctuary city” and a Wisconsin county whose administrator suspected the Trump administration may have confused its status as a “Second Amendment Sanctuary County” in opposition to gun control measures with being a sanctuary for immigrants, the AP reported.

When the list was posted last week, it included jurisdictions in 35 states, plus the District of Columbia. Other Pennsylvania jurisdictions included Gettysburg, Philadelphia, State College and York, as well as Adams, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Dauphin, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Montour and Northampton counties.

Trump in his executive order blamed state and local officials for using their authority to “violate, obstruct and defy the enforcement of federal immigration laws.”