Nevada's GOP governor gets serious on immigration while Democrat AG advocates weak-kneed approach

The Republican governor of Nevada made clear this week that his state will comply with all federal immigration laws after the Democrat attorney general recommended limiting enforcement in certain circumstances.

The political spat began after Attorney General Aaron Ford — a far-left Democrat who regularly opposes the Trump administration, lectures about "racial injustice," and recently participated in a forum to help immigrants navigate their interactions with ICE — offered "model immigration policies" as required by state law.

The policies suggest that cops concentrate on local crimes rather than "engaging in unpaid and non-criminal federal immigration enforcement." "The federal government is not entitled to free labor from our state public servants, who work diligently for Nevadans," the AG's announcement stated.

The announcement added that the AG consulted with various "stakeholders" to help construct these immigration recommendations. Among those stakeholders are the Keep Nevada Working Task Force — a board under the purview of the secretary of state that apparently focuses on employment for immigrants, not citizens — as well as members of the Nevada Immigrant Coalition.

Though the website for the Nevada Immigrant Coalition offers little content, it does include pictures demanding "citizenship now" and promoting the rights of illegal alien minors.

Ford further claimed in a statement that his recommendations reflect the will of the state legislature — currently in full control of the Democrats — about limiting immigration enforcement in places like schools, hospitals, and courthouses.

The Nevada Legislature intended these policies to limit "to the fullest extent possible and consistent with any applicable law, immigration enforcement at public schools, institutions of higher education, health care facilities and courthouses to ensure that such places remain safe and accessible to residents of this State regardless of the immigration status or citizenship of such persons."

By engaging in a multi-year process with stakeholders, we are confident that these goals have been met. I am very proud of this collective effort.

However, the announcement also noted that "the policies are recommendations ... not requirements" and that they "do not give sanctuary to criminals."

'As long as I am Governor, Nevada will continue to follow federal law.'

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo — the former sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department — immediately released a response, slamming Ford's model immigration recommendations as promoting "sanctuary"-like policies.

"Let me be clear: The Attorney General does not have the authority to make Nevada a sanctuary state or jurisdiction," Lombardo said in a statement. "As long as I am Governor, Nevada will continue to follow federal law."

Lombardo further stated that "all affected state agencies" would continue to follow state and federal immigration law and that "the Model Immigration Policies are non-binding and non-mandatory guidelines."

Ford then responded in kind. "The governor’s outrage would make more sense if these model policies were a surprise — but they aren’t," Ford said Wednesday. "The Legislature directed this work, and my office followed through. If the governor didn’t know that, the question isn’t about my office — it’s about his."

Ford has already teased a gubernatorial run in 2026, when Lombardo is up for re-election. Thus their public bickering may be little more than typical political grandstanding.

Between the mining in the rural north, the libertarian mindset that allowed Las Vegas to flourish, and the unions that represent much of the gaming and hospitality industries, Nevada truly is a purple state, oscillating between Republican and Democrat leadership for decades. However, prior to 2024, the state had not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since President George W. Bush's re-election 20 years earlier.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has warned states to comply with federal immigration law or risk losing federal funding. Bondi has since sued New York for allegedly failing to enforce immigration laws.

"New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens," Bondi said at a press conference earlier this month. "It stops. It stops today."

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