Nevada just became the first state to get itself removed from the federal “sanctuary jurisdiction” list.
That’s right – the Silver State managed to do what California, New York, and Illinois won’t even consider: cut a deal with the feds to stop playing games with immigration enforcement.
Why Nevada Landed on the List In The First Place
Back in April, President Trump signed Executive Order 14287, telling the Department of Justice and Homeland Security to publish a list of states and cities that block federal immigration enforcement.
If you made the list, you risked losing federal funds.
On August 5, Nevada’s name showed up right next to the usual blue-state suspects – California, New York, Illinois.
Why Nevada?
Because Attorney General Aaron Ford had issued “Model Immigration Policies” that told state employees to limit how much they cooperated with federal agents.
Add that to a Democrat-backed bill earlier this year that tried to stop schools from sharing student records with ICE – thankfully vetoed by Gov. Joe Lombardo – and Nevada got slapped with the label.
The Four Key Promises Nevada Made to Get Delisted
Fast-forward to September 26. Gov. Lombardo and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that commits Nevada to “full collaboration” with federal immigration enforcement.
Translation: the state is done pretending sanctuary policies make sense.
The deal includes:
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Authorizing the Nevada National Guard to support immigration operations.
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Allowing FEMA funds to be used for immigration enforcement.
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Blocking any new sanctuary-style laws.
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Bringing back the Las Vegas Metro Police Department’s 287(g) program, which lets local officers carry out ICE duties.
Lombardo couldn’t have been clearer:
“Nevada is not a sanctuary state, has never been a sanctuary state, and will never be a sanctuary state under my leadership.”
Bondi praised the move as a model for others, saying, “Come to the table and work with us instead of going to court.”
Proof That GOP Leadership in Swing States Matters
From a conservative perspective, this is huge.
For one, it means Nevada will no longer waste federal time and money forcing ICE to fight through state-level roadblocks.
Instead, those resources can be redirected to real problem areas – like California, where sanctuary laws keep criminal aliens on the streets.
It’s also proof that strong leadership in a purple state can cut through the nonsense.
Democrats still hold majorities in the Nevada Legislature, but Lombardo’s veto pen makes sure their “open borders lite” ideas don’t become law.
And let’s be honest – being first out the gate is pretty important.
Nevada just set the precedent. Other states are watching.
If you’re a governor in a swing state, do you really want to be compared to California’s chaos?
Cortez Masto, Rosen, and Ford Cry Foul
Of course, Democrats aren’t happy.
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto called the original “sanctuary” label for Nevada a mistake, while Senator Jacky Rosen worried about federal funding being used as a hammer.
Ford, who happens to be running for governor in 2026, tried to spin the whole thing by claiming he never supported “sanctuary for criminals.”
But here’s the catch: if Ford had his way, Nevada would still be on that list. It took Lombardo’s backbone to undo the mess.
Will Other States Follow Nevada’s Lead?
The DOJ is already eyeing other states.
New York and Illinois are under review, but don’t hold your breath.
These are deep-blue strongholds where defying ICE is practically a badge of honor.
That’s what makes Nevada’s pivot so important.
It’s proof that a red governor, even in a swing state, can stop the sanctuary madness.
And with the border still under pressure, Nevada just gave conservatives a win to point to as a model for the rest of the country.
Lombardo showed that if you’re willing to take on the left’s sanctuary obsession, you can actually get results.
Now it’s up to voters in other states to decide if they want the chaos of California or the common sense of Nevada.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
