Nevada's governor, AG conflict on Trump immigration policy enforcement

By Paul Boger

Published March 17, 2025 at 8:34 AM PDT

FILE - A deportation officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducts a brief before an early morning operation, Dec. 17, 2024, in the Bronx borough of New York.

President Donald Trump promised a record number of deportations, and he’s warned police and local officials who don’t help that they could face prosecution.

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, a Republican, signed a letter of support for the president in December.

Meanwhile, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, has released “Model Immigration Policies.”

The estimated number of people in Nevada with non-legal status is 160,000, one of the highest rates in the country. As the president seeks more deportations, do Ford’s model immigration policies counteract them?

Today, Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced the publication of model immigration policies, required by NRS 228.206 and 228.208. These policies are the result of a multi-year process of engaging with, and incorporating input from, various stakeholder groups, ... pic.twitter.com/UbDcI8LUoQ
— NV Attorney General (@NevadaAG) February 25, 2025

Let me be clear: The Attorney General does not have the authority to make Nevada a sanctuary state or jurisdiction. As long as I am Governor, Nevada will continue to follow federal law. pic.twitter.com/I0O79ECod8
— Governor Joe Lombardo (@JosephMLombardo) February 26, 2025

Guest: Athar Haseebullah, executive director, ACLU of Nevada; Enrique Davis Mazlum, Arizona state director, Unidos US