FACT BRIEFDoes Nevada identify as a sanctuary state?
No.
Republican and Democratic state officials alike say Nevada is not a sanctuary state.
Governor Joe Lombardo’s office told The Nevada Independent in a statement that “Nevada is not a sanctuary state or jurisdiction,” while Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford has said “I do not support sanctuary policies.”
Neither Las Vegas nor Reno identify as sanctuary cities.
The term “sanctuary state” has no legal definition, according to the Congressional Research Service, but it generally refers to states that have policies that block officials from asking about immigration status or curtail the ability of police to make arrests for federal civil immigration violations.
Major think tanks do not categorize Nevada as a sanctuary state. Some of the most conservative immigration groups, such as the Center for Immigration Studies, have agreed that neither Nevada nor any of its jurisdictions qualify as having “sanctuary” policies.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Nevada Independent partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Sources
- Office of Governor Joe Lombardo Statement
- Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford Attorney General Aaron Ford Releases Response to Governor Lombardo’s Misleading Statement on Model Immigration Policies
- City of Reno Statement from City of Reno
- Las Vegas Review-Journal Mayor says Las Vegas is not a ‘sanctuary city’
- Congress.gov “Sanctuary” Jurisdictions: Policy Overview
- Center for Immigration Studies Map: Sanctuary Cities, Counties, and States
It’s up to all of us to spread the truth.
Nevada lawmakers will be in session until June, and the fate of the bills they are debating will hinge in large part on the quality of the facts they’re working with.
Do free school lunches increase food waste? Do red flag laws reduce suicide rates? Does universal pre-K boost the economy?
We want to bring independent, rigorous fact checks to inform the public and policymakers on these crucial questions. We’re doing it through briefs that clearly answer a question with a yes or no in 150 words or less.
The Nevada Independent is always on the lookout for claims that could use a fact check. But we could use your eyes and ears too. If you're on social media or consuming news and come across a statement that raises questions for you — let us know.
In the meantime, if you think this work is important, please show your support by making a donation of any amount today. Your contributions help us devote more reporters and editors to finding and checking claims, ensuring that Nevadans have the best information possible during this important time in our state’s history.