Executive Order 14287: Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens
President: Donald J. Trump
Directed the Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary to identify sanctuary jurisdictions, pursue lawful enforcement and review federal funding and preferential-benefit policies.
Status: In effect.
Is Executive Order 14287 still in effect? Yes. Active; designations, funding disputes and litigation.
What does Executive Order 14287 do?
The order calls for a published sanctuary-jurisdiction list, potential lawful funding action, federal enforcement support and challenges to state or local measures considered pre-empted. DOJ published and updated an initial list and pursued affirmative litigation. Placement on the list is an executive designation, not by itself a judgment that a jurisdiction violated federal law.
Reading the operative provisions of Executive Order 14287
EO 14287 directs the Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary to identify jurisdictions the administration considers to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, pursue lawful enforcement and review federal funding or other benefits. The Federal Register text of EO 14287 assigns executive-branch review; it does not itself create a new federal crime or automatically cancel every grant to a city or state.
Federalism limits how the federal government can require state and local officials to assist with federal enforcement. Congress may attach conditions to federal grants, but conditions generally must be clear, related to the program and within constitutional limits. The executive branch also cannot withhold funds contrary to appropriations or statutory requirements. A jurisdiction’s policy can be reviewed, but a funding restriction requires an identified legal authority and a decision that follows the applicable process.
The order uses a broad label for jurisdictions, but each locality’s policy and cooperation arrangements can differ. To understand a specific dispute, examine the jurisdiction’s law, the federal request, the agency’s funding notice and any court decision. A public announcement that a locality is under review is not the same as a final loss of funding. The order’s implementation should be judged by lawful agency actions and court rulings, while immigration enforcement itself remains governed by federal statutes and constitutional protections.
Before and after
Before the order
States and localities used varied rules governing detainers, information sharing, jail access and local resources.
Federal grant conditions remained governed by their statutes and appropriations.
After the order
DOJ published an initial designation list and allowed jurisdictions to respond.
The Civil Division prioritized pre-emption suits and benefit-related cases; individual funding actions remain subject to statutory limits and litigation.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Attorney General and DHS Secretary | Publish and update sanctuary-jurisdiction list | Within 30 days and regularly |
| Agency heads | Identify potentially affected federal funds | As permitted by law |
| Attorney General | Bring appropriate enforcement and pre-emption litigation | Ongoing |
What happened next
EO 14287 signed.
DOJ list showed its then-current update date.
Official implementation sources rechecked.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The executive branch may enforce federal immigration law, but it cannot impose grant conditions Congress did not authorize. Anti-commandeering, pre-emption, due-process and Administrative Procedure Act principles can apply to particular actions.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- DOJ Civil Division enforcement memorandum (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 9, 2026. How we research →