The recent ICE memo authorizing deportations to third countries—nations where immigrants have no citizenship, no family, and no safety—poses a legal, moral, and constitutional crisis. Governors have both the authority and responsibility to intervene.
The Tenth Amendment and key Supreme Court decisions like Printz v. United States and New York v. United States affirm that the federal government cannot compel states to enforce federal immigration law. As a result, you hold broad executive power to protect your residents and can issue orders barring state and local cooperation with ICE’s dangerous new agenda. Just as Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin issued an order directing assistance with federal immigration enforcement, you can—and must—act in the opposite direction to shield your communities.
This is not just a legal issue—it’s one of public safety. Study after study confirms that sanctuary policies do not increase crime. In fact, crime rates are lower in sanctuary counties. Law enforcement must focus on keeping communities safe, not tearing families apart. Nearly 80% of Americans now view immigration as a good thing for the country. The public does not support this policy.
The economic stakes are also staggering. Mass deportations would shrink GDP by up to 7.4%, gutting industries and small businesses alike. Each deportation costs taxpayers up to $17,000—and states are being asked to help foot the bill. Meanwhile, undocumented immigrants paid nearly $90 billion in taxes last year. Deporting workers means destroying tax bases, worsening labor shortages, and harming millions of U.S. citizen children with undocumented parents.
This is a federal overreach funded with billions in ICE reimbursements meant to entice states into complicity. But no amount of money is worth compromising state values or inflicting irreversible harm on families. States have the right to reject these funds and the cruelty they enable.
Finally, your veto power is a critical safeguard. Governors like Josh Stein and Katie Hobbs have rejected anti-immigrant bills. You can do the same—and most legislatures lack the votes to override.
Please use every executive, fiscal, and political tool at your disposal to stop this policy. Your leadership matters now more than ever.
First sent on July 13 by Jennifer
