April 27, 2026

A study led by researchers at the Dornsife School of Public Health titled “Mapping the Legal Landscape from 2000 – 2021: State Sanctuary and Anti-Sanctuary Policies, Local Sanctuary Ordinances, and 287(g) Agreements” was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on April 27, 2026. This immigration policy dataset was developed as part of a broader project examining how state and local immigration policies influence health equity.

Authors include students, alumni, and faculty in the Department Health Management and Policy and the Urban Health Collaborative at Dornsife: Caroline Kravitz, MPH, PhD candidate, Alexandra Eastus, MS, PhD candidate, Serenity Lita Lillibridge, MPH, PhD student, Kalee Fahndrich, JD/MPH, Alina Schnake-Mahl, ScD, MPH, assistant professor, and Brent Langellier, PhD, MA, associate professor.

Researchers used legal mapping, a method that systematically identifies key provisions of laws and analyzes patterns in how they are structured and distributed. Using systematic search methodology, they developed an extensive dataset of state and local sanctuary and anti-sanctuary policies enacted between 2000 and 2021. 

“This dataset allows researchers to analyze the health impact of immigration policies at multiple levels of governance, something that is currently understudied in epidemiological literature,” said Kravitz.

This research achieved two significant goals: 

• It identified key trends in immigration policy, including states enacting policies in opposition to federal administrations, the rise of “punitive preemption” in anti-sanctuary states, and a broader redefinition of local autonomy. 
• The study produced a comprehensive dataset of state and local immigration policies, providing a valuable tool for empirical research to better quantify how the evolving immigration policy landscape influences the health of immigrants and their communities.

Prior research suggests that these shifts have important implications for public health, as some localities may be required to adopt new state policies, redirect funding, or scale back public health initiatives. Potential requirements like these could exacerbate regional health disparities and deepen inequities affecting marginalized communities, particularly in urban and rural areas.

Comprehensive immigration policy assessments are critical as global conflicts, climate-driven displacement, and economic instability have accelerated migration worldwide.

To learn more, visit the full publication.