Urbana and St. Joe are on the Department of Homeland Security list of 'sanctuary jurisdictions'.

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ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Last week, a list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” was issued by the Department of Homeland Security. Since then, the list no longer appears on the DHS’s website, but jurisdictions that appeared on the list have different opinions about what it could mean for their community.

The list, which named cities, counties, and states all throughout the United States, identified areas that are interfering with government deportations, according to the Trump Administration. This came after Executive Order 14287 was signed April 28, calling for a list of states and local jurisdictions that “obstruct the enforcement of Federal immigration laws.”

Per the EO, each jurisdiction would be notified of their “defiance of Federal immigration law enforcement and any potential violations of Federal criminal law.” The list was also meant to be used by the Office of Management and Budget to identify federal funds in the sanctuary jurisdictions that may be suspended or terminated.

The list was published May 29, but as of May 31, a “Page Not Found” message appeared instead. While the list was only publicly up on the DHS’ website for a short time, Illinois cities and counties that were named took notice.

Seven cities in Illinois appeared on the list, including Urbana and St. Joseph.

WCIA reached out to both Urbana’s Mayor, DeShawn Williams, and St. Joseph’s Mayor, Jim Page.

Williams said Urbana has been a Sanctuary City for nearly 40 years –and they don’t plan on changing that.

“Urbana will not be bullied. We have been a Sanctuary City since 1986, and we reaffirmed that commitment in 2016 because we believe in human dignity, community safety, and equal protection for everyone who calls Urbana home,” Williams said in a statement sent to WCIA. “When cities like ours face federal threats or funding pressure for standing by these values, it’s not just a matter of policy —it’s a matter of principle and moral responsibility.”

Page did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

WCIA’s sister station WGN reported that six of Illinois’ 102 counties were included on the DHS’ list.

Effingham County was among the 102 counties named. Joshua Douthit, Board Chairman of Effingham County, shared a statement in response to the DHS placing Effingham County on the list of “Sanctuary Jurisdictions.”

“Effingham County remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the safety and security of our residents. While recent DHS reports have categorized our county as a ‘sanctuary jurisdiction,’ we want to unequivocally affirm that Effingham County supports legal immigration and fully endorses the federal enforcement efforts of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency,” Douthit said.

Douthit added that the county made it clear that they are not a sanctuary county by adopting resolution 24-13, and said they will not spend tax dollars on the “immigration crisis.”

“Effingham County welcomes those who seek to enter and remain in the United States through legal means and values the contributions of immigrants who comply with the laws governing our nation. We will continue to follow all legal guidelines regarding our ability to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration issues in the interest of public safety, legal integrity, and the well-being of our residents,” Douthit said.

WCIA reached out to the DHS to find out how each city or county was chosen for the list, what appearing on the list might mean for those whose names were originally included, and why the list was removed. The DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Other counties included in the list: