End of SANCTUARY: No Place is Off-Limits!

President Trump’s new administration has unleashed a sweeping immigration crackdown, and the most dramatic change is a direct assault on what were once considered safe havens: our schools, hospitals, and churches.

At a Glance

• The Trump administration has revoked the long-standing “sensitive locations” policy, permitting ICE raids at schools, hospitals, and places of worship.
• The move is part of a broader crackdown aimed at deporting over one million immigrants annually.
• Civil rights groups and healthcare advocates warn the policy will create a climate of fear, preventing families from accessing essential services.
• The administration argues the change is necessary to close loopholes used by criminals to evade enforcement.

No More ‘Sensitive Zones’: A New Era of Enforcement

In a move that fundamentally reshapes immigration enforcement, the Trump administration has officially rescinded the decades-old “sensitive locations” policy. For years, this policy directed federal agents to avoid conducting arrests at places like schools, hospitals, places of worship, and public demonstrations to ensure immigrant communities could access essential services without fear.

Just hours after President Trump’s inauguration, his administration revoked a Biden-era policy that prohibited arrests by U.S. immigration agents at or near schools, places of worship and other places deemed to be “sensitive locations.” https://t.co/GIBhW7pdXT

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 21, 2025

Those protections are now gone. A new executive order gives ICE agents the green light to conduct enforcement actions anywhere, at any time. The administration’s message is clear: there are no more safe havens, and no one is off-limits.

The Chilling Effect on American Communities

While the administration frames this as “restoring the rule of law,” civil rights groups and healthcare advocates are warning of a devastating “chilling effect.” The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argues that the policy will create a climate of fear, terrorizing communities and preventing people from seeking life-saving medical care or sending their children to school.

Doctors and hospital associations have pointed out that public health depends on everyone, regardless of immigration status, feeling safe enough to go to the emergency room. When sick people avoid hospitals for fear of deportation, it puts the entire community at risk.

A System Remade

The elimination of sensitive zones is just one part of a much larger immigration overhaul based on the conservative Project 2025 blueprint. This includes ending DACA and TPS, expanding expedited removal nationwide, and deputizing local police to act as ICE agents.

Supporters argue these aggressive measures are necessary to secure the border and end the chaos of the previous administration. But critics contend that the human cost is far too high. By turning schools and hospitals into potential sites for immigration raids, the administration is forcing millions of families to make an impossible choice: access the services they need, or stay in the shadows to avoid deportation.