MAGA-aligned U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) wrote today on social media: “To my Democrat colleagues: if you want to change the DHS bill to put restrictions on ICE to align them more with traditional law enforcement agencies, then I believe it would be right for me to insist that we get to the root cause of the problem, which would be ending sanctuary city policies.”
Graham added: “Therefore I want to put my Senate colleagues on notice that I would insist this new DHS package include ending sanctuary city policies forever — which is something the American people overwhelmingly support.”
Graham mimicked President Trump’s signature social media post sign-off and added, “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
To my Democrat colleagues: if you want to change the DHS bill to put restrictions on ICE to align them more with traditional law enforcement agencies, then I believe it would be right for me to insist that we get to the root cause of the problem, which would be ending sanctuary…
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 29, 2026
There is no universal definition of sanctuary policy, with different states and cities promoting various measures to ease challenges for immigrant communities under the banner of “sanctuary.”
The sanctuary measure currently drawing the most attention, especially as Operation Metro Surge roils Minneapolis, is one which prohibits “287(g) agreements through which Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deputizes local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law,” as the American Immigration Council explains.
Other pertinent sanctuary policies include restrictions on sharing certain information about immigrants with federal agencies and the refusal to allow ICE into local jails without a judicial warrant.
[Note: According to one study reviewed by the CATO Institute, sanctuary policies, which reduce deportations, “don’t reduce crime as some pro-immigration advocates claim, nor do they increase crime as many immigration restrictionists claim.”]
One Graham critic on X responded that “blaming sanctuary cities is easier than addressing comprehensive immigration reform.” Another asserted that “this sounds more like political leverage than problem solving, turning real policy into a bargaining chip again.”
One MAGA supporter suggested to Graham: “Hold this gassy speech and pass the save act instead.”
According to Campaign Legal Center, the GOP’s SAVE Act (Graham is a co-sponsor), if passed, will “impose unnecessary barriers to the [voter] registration process, requiring voters to provide documentation that many don’t have” and “would severely threaten mail registration and require online registration systems to be overhauled to fit the bill’s requirements.”
The legal organization notes: “We already have laws in place to ensure only citizens are voting, which include strict penalties such as deportation.”