Jackson, MS Immigration Policy: Sanctuary Policy Preemption (2026)
Key Facts
- Ordinance
- Ord. No. 2010-34(5), adopted Sept. 21, 2010
- Bias-based policing
- Barred as grounds for stops/arrests, Sec. 86-193
- Victims/witnesses
- Cannot be asked immigration status, Sec. 86-194(a)(2)
- Police exception
- Assisting federal criminal investigations
- Applies beyond police
- All "public servants" under Sec. 86-195
- Other exceptions
- I-9 forms, subpoenas, eligibility-conditioned services
- Enforcement
- Internal discipline referral, not a court fine
Summary
Jackson's Racial and Ethnic Profiling article, City Code Secs. 86-193 to 86-195, bars police officers from using immigration status as grounds for a stop, arrest or unequal treatment, and bars officers from asking about immigration status of anyone seeking police help or who is a crime victim or witness, subject to limited exceptions.
(a)A public servant, who is a police officer:(1)Shall not solicit information concerning immigration status for the purpose of ascertaining a person's compliance with federal immigration law; or(2)Shall not solicit information concerning immigration status from a person who is seeking police services, or is a victim or witness of a crime.(b)Notwithstanding the prohibitions set forth in subsection (a) of this section, public servants, who are police officers, are expressly permitted to engage in the following activities...: (1)Solicitation of information concerning immigration status when performing public safety functions while assisting federal law enforcement in the investigation of a criminal offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55).
Full Breakdown
Enacted by Ord. No. 2010-34(5) on September 21, 2010 and codified as Ch. 86, Art. VII, the article states in Sec. " Sec. 86-193 bars a police officer from exercising differential treatment or basing reasonable suspicion, probable cause, or any police action on a person's immigration status, though status may still be used to identify a described individual. Sec. 86-194(a) bars an officer from soliciting immigration status to check federal-law compliance, or from a person seeking police services or who is a victim or witness of a crime; Sec.
86-194(b) carves out exceptions for assisting federal law enforcement investigating a criminal offense, or questioning a criminal-investigation subject or an arrested person. Sec. 86-195 extends a similar solicitation ban to all city public servants, not just police, with exceptions where a federal, state or city program conditions eligibility on the answer, for I-9 employment-verification purposes, or in response to a subpoena. Sec. 86-196 requires the city to implement the article through ongoing training. This is a locally codified non-solicitation and anti-bias policy distinct from, and narrower than, any state-level sanctuary-cities statute; the article itself disclaims creating any city duty beyond existing state or federal law.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 86-197 routes an alleged violation by a public servant to that employee's department director or agency head for review and investigation, with any discipline carried out under the city's personnel rules, civil service rules or applicable union contract; the article sets no separate fine or criminal penalty of its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Jackson police ask about immigration status during a traffic stop?
Can a crime victim in Jackson be asked their immigration status?
Is Jackson officially a sanctuary city?
What happens if a Jackson city employee violates this policy?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jackson
Compare Jackson to another location·View the Mississippi immigration policy overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.