At the dawn of the first Trump administration, cities and states led by Democrats were quick to air their outrage over the new president and his hard-line immigration policies.

Governors and mayors proclaimed their sanctuary status at news conferences and rushed to pass legislation in defense of immigrants. Even the Republican governor of Illinois at the time, Bruce Rauner, signed a sanctuary bill into law during Mr. Trump’s first year in office.

Rahm Emanuel, a Democrat who was then the mayor of Chicago, said in early 2017, “I want to be clear: We’re going to stay a sanctuary city.”

In the opening days of the second Trump administration, the defense of the term “sanctuary city” has been far less vocal.

Some cities, including Minneapolis, have since embraced the less politically charged phrase “welcoming city,” while keeping policies in place that limit local law enforcement agencies’ cooperation with federal immigration officials.

In New York City, the country’s largest sanctuary city, Mayor Eric Adams has staked out positions on immigration that align more closely with Mr. Trump’s than with those of his fellow Democrats.

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