LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The City of Las Vegas is not designated as a so-called Sanctuary City, but this week, the Department of Homeland Security says otherwise.
The DHS released a list of jurisdictions it claims are not following immigration laws. Las Vegas is on that list, and neither Mayor Shelley Berkley nor Gov. Joe Lombardo is happy about it. I reached out to DHS seeking answers about what prompted their designation.
WATCH | Joe Moeller tries to get answers about what prompted the DHS's designation:
According to DHS, these jurisdictions "deliberately and shamefully obstruct" federal immigration enforcement.
"It was a mistake," Mayor Shelley Berkley said. "It could be an inadvertent error."
Berkley tells us she was caught off guard to learn her city was being labeled a haven for illegal immigrants.
"I've been asked that question since I became mayor. The answer is always the same: No, the City of Las Vegas is not a sanctuary city, period. End of discussion. Please take us off the list; we don't belong there."
Hear from Shelley Berkley about the DHS's "sanctuary jurisdiction" designation for Las Vegas:
Gov. Joe Lombardo echoed that sentiment in a statement from his press office declaring that, "Just as the State of Nevada is not a sanctuary state, the City of Las Vegas is not a sanctuary jurisdiction."
"The City of Las Vegas is working to quickly resolve this incorrect categorization with the Department of Homeland Security," the statement continues. "Nevada will continue to follow federal law and cooperate with federal immigration authorities under Governor Lombardo's leadership."
Just as the State of Nevada is not a sanctuary state, the City of Las Vegas is not a sanctuary jurisdiction. The City of Las Vegas is working to quickly resolve this incorrect categorization with the Department of Homeland Security. Nevada will continue to follow federal law and…
— Governor Lombardo Press Office (@Lombardo_Press) May 30, 2025
The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement about the designations, which reads in part:
"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."
So, could the designation have come from policies at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department? Sheriff Kevin McMahill has emphasized that immigration enforcement is not LVMPD's job. The department's policies state, "although Nevada peace officers have the authority to assist in enforcing federal laws, LVMPD officers will not enforce immigration laws."
The policy also states LVMPD will notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement of undocumented individuals who have been arrested for serious crimes, but will not hold individuals if ICE is not present at the time of their release.
"We here at Metro will continue to follow the laws as they are written," McMahill said in February. "We don't make the law, OK?"
Las Vegas has made headlines as a supposed sanctuary city before. In 2015, there were questions about LVMPD's immigration detainer policies after a man living in the U.S. illegally was put on trial for killing a woman in San Francisco.
I did reach out to DHS for further clarification, but did not hear back as of Friday evening. The Department states jurisdictions will be notified of their non-compliance, and those on the list could face consequences such as having federal funds withheld.
I also reached out to LVMPD to see if they have heard from DHS, but did not get a response.
Nevada Senate Republican leader Robin Titus is calling on law enforcement agencies across the state to partner with federal immigration authorities. Titus says she wants every county to join the 287G Program, which allows local officers to help identify and remove people who are in the country illegally and commit crimes. Currently, only three of Nevada's 17 counties participate in that ICE partnership.
