As chaotic immigration enforcement operations in cities like Minneapolis and Los Angeles continue to unfold, conservative officials across the country are addressing the possibility of similar incidents occurring in their state.
On Wednesday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall argued that sanctuary state laws have been largely to blame for the violent disorder in many major cities.
"I don’t believe the chaos would ever start in Alabama, let alone reach the levels we saw in Los Angeles and Minnesota, because Alabama is not a sanctuary state," Marshall told 1819 News. "In Alabama, state and local officials work together to get criminals off the streets. If Minnesota and California operated more like Alabama, it’s highly unlikely the chaos and loss of life would have occurred."
Marshall, who is running for U.S. Senate, pledged to help end sanctuary jurisdictions across the country if elected.
"In the Senate, I will support and fight for the elimination of sanctuary cities and states, which will require stronger cooperation between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies," concluded Marshall.
In June, Marshall spoke specifically about California's sanctuary status and its role in the ongoing protests.
"This is a failed effort by California. Not only in the courts, their litigation, but in the lack of leadership," contended Marshall. "Look, we saw it through the fires that devastated millions of dollars of property and families that were displaced. We’re seeing that abject failure of leadership now."
He added, "It’s what you get when you claim to be a sanctuary city in a sanctuary state, when you allow those that would push back violently against our law enforcement officials doing their job to remove those who have come to this country unlawfully.
In April 2025, Marshall also joined 22 fellow attorneys general in filing a brief urging the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to reject attempts by Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County to shield illegal aliens from federal immigration authorities. The brief argued that sanctuary laws "conflict with federal law, frustrate national immigration enforcement, and impose significant costs on states across the country, including Alabama."
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