Yes, Cleveland is a sanctuary city, and has been since May 1987, when City Council passed Resolution No. 777-87 formally adopting that designation. Mayor Justin Bibb reaffirmed the policy in January 2025, directing Cleveland police not to enforce general federal immigration law or participate in deporting people who have not committed violent crimes.1City of Cleveland. Statement from Mayor Justin M. Bibb
“Sanctuary city” is not a term defined in federal statute. It is shorthand for a jurisdiction that limits how far its own employees go in helping federal immigration enforcement. The U.S. Department of Justice tracks sanctuary jurisdictions based on local directives restricting cooperation with ICE, limits on sharing immigration-status information, and refusal to honor ICE detainers without a judicial warrant.2U.S. Department of Justice. U.S. Sanctuary Jurisdiction List Following Executive Order 14287 Cleveland fits that profile.
What Sanctuary Status Looks Like in Cleveland
Mayor Bibb’s January 2025 statement set the operational line plainly: “My administration will not engage in the deportation of individuals who have not committed violent crimes. No law requires that we do so. Cleveland police are tasked with protecting public safety, and while we will take action against anybody who commits violent crimes, we are not enforcing general federal immigration law.”1City of Cleveland. Statement from Mayor Justin M. Bibb
In day-to-day terms, Cleveland officers do not ask about immigration status during traffic stops, calls for service, or crime reports. They do not arrest people solely for immigration violations. They do not join ICE operations targeting non-violent individuals. Resources go toward violent crime instead. As Bibb put it, “Our police are not here to play politics or be used as a tool for fear.”1City of Cleveland. Statement from Mayor Justin M. Bibb
ICE Detainers
An ICE detainer asks a local jail to hold someone up to 48 hours past their scheduled release so federal agents can pick them up. Cleveland limits cooperation with these requests to cases involving violent crime. For everyone else, the city does not treat a detainer as something it is obligated to honor.
Federal courts have supported this view. Detainers are requests, not commands, and holding someone solely on an ICE detainer without a judicial warrant can violate the Fourth Amendment. One federal district court found that ICE’s practice of issuing detainers based on limited evidence of foreign birth violates constitutional protections against unreasonable seizure. Jurisdictions that honor detainers without independent probable cause expose themselves to liability for unlawful detention.
No 287(g) Agreement
Cleveland does not participate in the 287(g) program, which lets ICE delegate federal immigration enforcement authority to local officers after training. Under such an agreement, local personnel can identify removable noncitizens, issue immigration detainers, and work on ICE-led task forces.3U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Delegation of Immigration Authority Section 287(g) Immigration and Nationality Act Several Ohio counties have gone the other direction and signed on, including sheriff’s offices in Seneca, Portage, and Butler counties. Cleveland has not.
What Sanctuary Status Does Not Do
The protections above are real, but limited. Living in Cleveland does not shield anyone from federal immigration law itself.
- ICE still operates inside the city. Federal agents do not need Cleveland’s permission or help to make arrests. The sanctuary policy only governs what city employees do.
- Federal law prohibits any state or local government from barring its employees from sending immigration-status information they already have to federal immigration agencies, or receiving it from them. Sanctuary cities usually work around this by not collecting status information in the first place.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 U.S. Code 1373 – Communication Between Government Agencies and the Immigration and Naturalization Service
- Sanctuary policies grant no immigration status, create no path to documentation, and offer no protection against a final removal order.
Federal and State Pressures on Cleveland’s Policy
Cleveland’s position sits in tension with recent federal action and pending state bills, either of which could reshape what the city is permitted to do.
Executive Order 14287
In 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14287, directing the Attorney General to publish a list of sanctuary jurisdictions and instructing federal agencies to identify grants and contracts to those jurisdictions for possible suspension or termination. The order also tells the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security to “pursue all necessary legal remedies” against jurisdictions that remain in defiance after notice.5Federal Register. Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens
How aggressively any funding cuts actually land remains unsettled. A similar effort during Trump’s first term was blocked by a federal court that found the president cannot unilaterally impose new conditions on congressional spending. Narrower funding restrictions may still move forward.
Ohio Legislation
Ohio has no statewide ban on sanctuary policies, but three bills in the legislature would change that if enacted. Senate Bill 172 would require state and local officials to allow the arrest or detention of individuals suspected of being undocumented, and would override any conflicting local ordinance, resolution, or directive. House Bills 26 and 200 would require state and local officials to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement or face budget cuts.
Because Ohio state law generally overrides conflicting local policy, passage of any of these would force Cleveland to choose between compliance and a legal challenge. None had been enacted as of mid-2026.
Your Rights During an Encounter With Immigration Agents
Regardless of status, everyone in the United States has constitutional protections. You have the right to remain silent, and you are not required to discuss your citizenship or immigration status with police or immigration officers. Anything you say can be used against you in immigration court.
If agents come to your home, they need a warrant signed by a judge to enter. ICE administrative warrants, signed by ICE officers rather than judges, do not authorize entry into a home without the occupant’s consent.
Federal policy has traditionally limited ICE enforcement at sensitive locations including schools, hospitals, churches, and public demonstrations. Agents generally need prior approval from senior officials before conducting planned operations at these sites, with exceptions for national security threats, imminent danger, or pursuit of a dangerous individual.6U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Enforcement Actions at or Focused on Sensitive Locations This guidance has been revised under different administrations, so checking the current version matters.
If you or someone you know is facing an immigration enforcement situation, an immigration attorney can help weigh the options. Cleveland City Council publishes legal aid contacts and know-your-rights resources on its website for residents who need help.