HARTFORD, CT — Two months after state officials denounced the listing of Connecticut as a sanctuary jurisdiction by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Attorney General William Tong is once again defending the state against a repeat of the claim, this time from the U.S. Justice Department.
“There is nothing in our laws or statutes that says Connecticut is a ‘sanctuary’ state. We are not,” Tong wrote in a statement hours after Homeland Security posted a list of jurisdictions it claims have “policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws.”
Tong went on to say “sanctuary jurisdiction” is a term with no legal meaning.
“And the ‘characteristics’ listed here are a concocted fiction of the Trump Administration,” he said.
In May, a similar listing drew a similar response from Tong and Gov. Ned Lamont.
Lamont at the time referred to the state’s Trust Act as consistent with federal constitutional standards while also maintaining public safety.
“I am focused on making sure people feel safe in our schools, churches, and elsewhere,” Lamont said in a statement. “Nothing about this makes Connecticut a ‘sanctuary’ in any legal or practical sense. It makes our state one that upholds the Constitution, respects the rule of law, and prioritizes the safety and well-being of our communities.”
Lamont did not immediately comment on the state’s new listing.
Republican state senators Rob Sampson, of Wolcott, and Stephen Harding, of Brookfield, in a joint statement, agreed with the Trump administration and went a bit farther, once again referring to Connecticut as a “super sanctuary” state.
The pair said the state’s leaders “prohibit local and state law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities – including for those who have been convicted for violent felonies.”
Tong said it is Connecticut’s policy “to respect, honor and protect immigrants and immigrant families in compliance with the law” and pointed out that during Trump’s first administration Connecticut was certified in compliance with federal policies.
“Nothing has changed to alter that certification, other than Trump’s unhinged fixation on defunding and commandeering our police,” he said.
In its news release, the Justice Department listed 13 states, four counties and 18 cities as sanctuary jurisdictions. The department included the District of Columbia in the list as a state.
The release threatened litigation against jurisdictions on the list.
Tong said Connecticut is prepared.
“We sued the last time Trump attempted to defund our law enforcement, and we are prepared to defend Connecticut funding and public safety,” he said.