Exploring Immigration Detention at the Intersection of Federal Grant Funding, Sanctuary, and Political Majorities in 2015

Although county law enforcement agencies lack the authority to enforce immigration laws, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) relies on county jails for immigration detention. Research has yet to examine immigration detention at the intersection of State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) grants, political majorities, and sanctuary policies. This study assesses the relationships between SCAAP, political majorities, and sanctuary policies with the odds of county jails’ participation in immigration detention in 2015. SCAAP has significantly increased the likelihood of participating in immigration detention. The relationship between SCAAP and the odds of detaining for ICE was more pronounced among Republican-majority counties, but the relationship between SCAAP and detaining for ICE did not change based on the presence of sanctuary policies. These findings suggest that greater attention should be paid to federal grants such as SCAAP and the interplay between federal law enforcement grant funding, political majorities, and sanctuary policies.