Homeland Security names 7 North Dakota counties ‘sanctuary jurisdictions,’ sheriffs call list incorrect

AMIDON, N.D. — A federal agency has listed seven North Dakota counties as “sanctuary jurisdictions,” a distinction that a group of sheriffs is calling “misinformation and a mischaracterization.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security published on Thursday, May 29, a list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” by state. The agency claims the counties, cities and, in some cases, states are “deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws endangering American communities.”

“Sanctuary cities protect dangerous criminal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in peril,” Homeland Security said on its website.

In North Dakota, Billings, Golden Valley, Grant, Morton, Ramsey, Sioux and Slope counties made the list.

Otter Tail County was among 20 counties in Minnesota identified as sanctuary jurisdictions, along with the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Homeland Security said Minnesota self-identified as a “state sanctuary jurisdiction.”

Homeland Security said it has sent notifications to those counties, advising leaders there to review and revise policies “to align with federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens,” according to the agency website.

The North Dakota Sheriff’s and Deputies Association said Friday in a statement it is trying to determine why Homeland Security put the counties on the list.

“These North Dakota counties strongly believe that this is misinformation and a mischaracterization of how they uphold the rule of law in North Dakota,” the association said in the release. “They have worked well with their federal partners and routinely interact with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as the U.S. Border Patrol on immigration and other criminal matters.”

Slope County Sheriff Deputy Dick Frederick said he didn’t know why his county was put on the list. His department does not have policies that would suggest it would hinder federal agents from arresting immigrants in the country illegally.

He said he spoke with other sheriffs listed as “sanctuary jurisdictions,” noting they are trying to figure out the criteria Homeland Security used to form the list.

“You probably couldn’t find more conservative counties in the state,” he said of several counties on the list, including his, Billings and Golden Valley.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said the list caught him off guard and has no basis. His county has no policies that go against immigration laws.

"Someone at DHS screwed up, and we're trying to figure it out," he said.

Sheriffs in Billings, Golden Valley, Grant, Ramsey and Sioux did not respond to requests for comment by The Forum. Otter Tail County Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons was unavailable for comment Friday.

Sanctuary jurisdictions became a term that was used to describe cities that didn’t cooperate with federal law enforcement seeking to arrest immigrants who were in the country illegally. Several cities in the U.S. passed policies that prohibited law enforcement from working with federal agents on illegal immigration.

North Dakota went in the opposite direction in 2023, when it approved legislation that banned cities and counties from passing sanctuary jurisdiction policies. This year, the North Dakota Legislature strengthened the anti-sanctuary cities law by allowing the attorney general to investigate complaints filed by individuals.

Political subdivisions found to be in violation of the law could risk losing state funding, according to the 2025 bill.

No North Dakota city made the Homeland Security list. It’s unclear why the counties were listed.

Homeland Security said in a statement to The Forum that it used “numerous factors” to determine which counties and cities made the list. That included self-identification, noncompliance in enforcing immigration laws, restricted information sharing and “legal protections for illegal aliens.”

“The list is actively reviewed, will be regularly updated and can be changed at any time,” the statement said.

Homeland Security didn’t specify why the seven North Dakota counties made the list.

With the exception of Sioux County, the North Dakota counties on the list voted for Republican Donald Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024 when he ran for president, according to the North Dakota Secretary of State’s website. In 2024, Ramsey gave almost 69% of its vote to Trump, according to election results.

The president won Morton County with 75%, Grant with 82%, Billings with 84% and Golden Valley with 85%, the 2024 results said.

With 90% of Slope voting for Trump, that county had the highest percentage of support for the president in the state during the 2024 election.

Trump also won Otter Tail County with 66% of the vote.

Sioux County gave 68% of its vote to Democrat Kamala Harris last year. Trump got less than 30%.

Trump appointed former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, to head Homeland Security.

“President Trump and Secretary Noem have been clear: sanctuary jurisdictions should immediately cease violation of federal law and cooperate with law enforcement,” Homeland Security said in its statement to The Forum.

The list did not include any counties or cities in South Dakota.

The North Dakota Sheriff’s and Deputies Association said the counties that were designated “sanctuary jurisdiction” have not been told by Homeland Security how to fix the issue. Elected sheriffs in those counties said “strive every day to protect the public as well as holding criminal actors accountable regardless of immigration status,” the association said in the statement.

“The North Dakota Sheriff’s and Deputies Association is working to gather more information regarding the lack of transparency and reasoning as to why the Department of Homeland Security did not fact-check prior to incorrectly naming these North Dakota counties,” the association said.