Minnesota is among a dozen states identified as “sanctuary jurisdictions” in a new list released by the U.S. Department of Justice, which has vowed to bring lawsuits against states, counties and cities that limit local cooperation with federal immigration agents.

The DOJ published the list of 35 “sanctuary jurisdictions” on Tuesday, saying they have been “identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws.”

In addition to the 12 states, the list also includes the District of Columbia, four counties and 18 cities across the country, none of which are in Minnesota.

The list is in response to President Donald Trump’s “Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens” executive order to identify states and local jurisdictions that “use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws.”

The order threatens suspension or termination of federal funds, grants and contracts to sanctuary jurisdictions.

According to the DOJ, sanctuary jurisdiction characteristics include: enacting laws or ordinances that obstruct or limit local law enforcement cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); refusing to honor ICE detainers without a judicial warrant; restricting ICE access to local jails and detainees; and prohibiting local agencies from sharing immigration status of detainees.

“Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a DOJ news release Tuesday. “The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country.”

The list comes two months after the Department of Homeland Security published a list of nearly 400 “sanctuary jurisdictions,” which included St. Paul and Minneapolis and 20 Minnesota counties. It was taken off the DHS website after widespread criticism and confusion over its accuracy and the criteria used for inclusion.

The DOJ said the latest list is not comprehensive and will be updated “as federal authorities gather further information.”

The DOJ also noted that it has filed several lawsuits against “sanctuary jurisdictions” seeking to compel compliance with federal law, including one against New York City on July 24. The lawsuit names Mayor Eric Adams and other city officials as defendants.

‘An assertion with no evidence’

Brian Evans, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office, said Wednesday there would be no comment on the state’s inclusion in DOJ’s new list, adding that lawmakers set policy for the state.

Evans said the DOJ’s news release doesn’t specify what criteria Minnesota meets “that qualifies it as a sanctuary state, so there’s honestly not really anything of substance to respond to, just an assertion with no evidence behind it.”

A spokesperson for Gov. Tim Walz said the governor would not comment beyond what he told the U.S. House Oversight Committee on state immigration policies in June, when he said that Minnesota is not a sanctuary state.

“The Minnesota Legislature has passed no such bill making Minnesota a sanctuary state, and I have signed no such law,” Walz said at the June 12 hearing.

“Minnesota cooperates with federal authorities in a number of ways. When there’s a convicted felon in our prisons, we ask about their immigration status, and share that information with the Department of Homeland Security,” Walz continued. “We also cooperate with Homeland Security requests when there’s a judicial warrant and when due process has been afforded by our Constitution.”

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Attempts to reach several state DFL lawmakers Wednesday for comment were not successful.

Assistant Senate Minority Leader Jordan Rasmusson, R-Fergus Falls, said in a statement that Walz ran for governor in 2018 on a promise to make Minnesota a sanctuary state.

“Since then, we have seen his administration follow through with laws that move our state in that direction,” he said.

Rasmusson noted how he led a Republican effort in 2025 that rolled back one of Walz’s policies that provided taxpayer-funded health insurance to adult undocumented immigrants.

“However, we must continue working to stop Minnesota’s incentives for illegal immigration and strengthen cooperation with federal authorities,” he said.