(The Center Square) − Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration is continuing its hardline stance against sanctuary policies in Louisiana.
Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a motion to intervene in federal court on Tuesday, challenging the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office’s longstanding restrictions on cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“The people of Louisiana, through their representatives in the Legislature, have adamantly rejected ‘sanctuary’ policies that shield those who have broken our laws and endanger the men, women, and children of this State,” Murrill said on X.
At the center of the legal battle is a 2013 consent decree that prevents the sheriff’s office from honoring most ICE detainers, except in cases involving the most severe charges, such as murder, rape and kidnapping. The decree also prohibits the sheriff’s office from investigating the immigration status of detainees or sharing that information with federal authorities without a court order.
Murrill argues that this policy is now in direct conflict with state law. In 2024, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 208, requiring local law enforcement agencies to comply with ICE detainers.
The lawsuit contends that the sheriff’s office has failed to amend its policies in accordance with this change, effectively maintaining what the attorney general calls a “sanctuary” jurisdiction in defiance of state law.
“The people of Louisiana have spoken through their elected representatives—they do not want sanctuary policies shielding those who break our laws,” Murrill said in a statement. “Governor Landry and I are committed to defending the rights of this state and ensuring law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration authorities.”
Landry’s opposition to sanctuary policies is well documented. As Louisiana’s attorney general in 2016, he testified before Congress, decrying sanctuary cities as a threat to public safety.
Citing crime statistics and federal data, he argued that such policies lead to increased criminal activity and obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts.
During his testimony, Landry pointed to a Department of Justice consent decree that mandated restrictions on ICE cooperation in New Orleans, calling it an example of federal overreach.
He also highlighted cases in which undocumented immigrants with criminal records were released rather than turned over to immigration authorities, sometimes committing additional crimes after their release.
Murrill’s motion seeks to overturn the consent decree and force the sheriff’s office into compliance with state law. The legal battle is expected to reignite broader debates over immigration enforcement in Louisiana, with civil rights groups likely to challenge the move in court.
For now, the lawsuit marks the latest effort by Landry’s administration to reshape Louisiana’s approach to immigration enforcement, aligning it more closely with the policies of the Trump administration, which Landry has vocally supported.
“Sanctuary cities give safe haven to illegal murders, rapists, and drug traffickers who have no place in Louisiana and no place in our country,” Gov. Landry said on X.
The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office has not yet commented on the lawsuit.