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The Drug Crisis and Cooperative Federalism in San Francisco

A note in the Harvard Law Review explores an example of cooperative federalism in which undocumented individuals in San Francisco charged with drug dealing are quickly tried in federal (rather than state) court, then promptly deported — often within a matter of weeks. San Francisco officials requested federal help in 2023 because of the city’s severe fentanyl problem and because San Francisco is a “sanctuary jurisdiction” where local prosecutors cannot seek deportation. Read more here.