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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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President Donald Trump said he is working on papers that will see all federal funding withheld from sanctuary cities, jurisdictions that do not fully cooperate in the enforcement of U.S. immigration law.
"No more Sanctuary Cities! They protect the Criminals, not the Victims. They are disgracing our Country, and are being mocked all over the World," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
"Working on papers to withhold all Federal Funding for any City or State that allows these Death Traps to exist!!!"
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Why it Matters
Trump put immigration front and center of his election campaign, promising mass deportations. While most voters broadly agree with the need to crack down on immigration, many oppose more aggressive methods of detention and deportation.
What to Know
There's no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE enforces U.S. immigration laws nationwide but seeks state and local help, particularly for large-scale deportations, requesting that police and sheriffs alert them to people it wants to deport and hold them until federal officers take custody.
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But some cities and states say cooperating with ICE means victims of crime and witnesses who aren't in the U.S. legally won't come forward. And, to varying degrees, officials argue that they want their localities to be welcoming places for immigrants.
Courts have repeatedly upheld the legality of most sanctuary laws.
But Trump Administration officials have targeted sanctuary policies right out of the gate in his second term, seeing them as a key impediment to deporting people in the large numbers he wants.
Trump says sanctuary cities are a haven for dangerous foreign criminals whose presence threatens public safety. His administration has sued Chicago and Illinois as well as New York state over various immigration laws.
What People Are Saying
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, a Democrat, told a congressional hearing on sanctuary cities in March: "We don't call anyone to our city. Folks that arrive in our city, we offer them the same access to services they may need to be successful. And if they break the law, we hold them accountable, we charge them and we prosecute them."
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, then a Democrat but now independent, told the same hearing: "I must create an atmosphere that allows every law-abiding resident, documented or not, to access vital services without fear of being turned over to federal authorities."
House Oversight Chair James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said in March: "Sanctuary cities make us all less safe and are a public safety nightmare. We cannot let pro-criminal alien policies [and] obstructionist sanctuary cities continue to endanger American communities and the safety of federal immigration enforcement officers."
What's Next
Trump has promised executive action to target sanctuary cities. The statement that he is currently working on papers suggests action may be imminent.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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