In a significant escalation of its campaign against sanctuary cities, the Trump administration has announced a forthcoming executive order that mandates Attorney General Pam Bondi to compile a nationwide list of cities and states classified as sanctuary jurisdictions.
This announcement comes in the wake of a San Francisco judge blocking President Donald Trump’s earlier attempts to defund 16 such cities.
The White House Press Secretary, Caroline Levitt, outlined the aim of the executive order during a briefing with podcasters and social media influencers.
“It will direct the attorney general, Pam Bondi, to provide a list of sanctuary cities back to the administration. If those sanctuary cities are breaking federal law, then the Office of Management and Budget is going to look at their federal spending,” Levitt stated.
She added, “If you are defying federal law, you are threatening your own federal spending by doing that.”
The Trump administration has previously threatened to withdraw federal funding from municipalities, including Chicago, that refuse to fully cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal immigration efforts.
In response to these threats, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson voiced concerns at a special meeting of the US Conference of Mayors on Public Safety.
“Cities are being threatened by the federal government to withdraw resources that ultimately will hurt our cities,” he remarked, highlighting the challenges posed by this new directive.
Mayor Jerry Dyer of Fresno, California, echoed these sentiments, expressing worry that his city would be adversely affected simply by standing up for the rights of immigrants.
“That’s going to be a challenge for us based on that jurisdiction being identified as a ‘sanctuary city’ when that city may not feel it’s a sanctuary city,” Dyer commented.
Moreover, Dyer stated his belief that local law enforcement should not have to play the role of federal immigration enforcement agents.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling emphasized the need for cooperation between federal and city law enforcement, particularly in tackling serious crimes such as drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and violent crime.
However, he expressed concerns that federal immigration enforcement could instill fear in the city’s undocumented population.
“When someone calls the police, we don’t care about their status. We don’t care about any of that. When you are calling us for help, we want to get there and give you the help,” Snelling affirmed.
The newly proposed executive order will give Attorney General Bondi one month to create a list of cities deemed as not complying with federal laws before any cuts in funding are enacted.
Yet, Mayor Johnson contends that such a move is counterproductive, stating that cities like Chicago need federal investment for their wellbeing.
“Every single mayor across this country, we need our federal government to invest in our cities,” Johnson said passionately.
Past attempts by President Trump’s administration to withhold funds from sanctuary cities were blocked by the Supreme Court, which dismissed the case and preserved California’s federal funding.
Currently, Trump’s administration has filed a lawsuit against Chicago for allegedly hindering immigration enforcement efforts, a claim which Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has disputed.
“(The Illinois Trust Act) has always been compliant with federal law, and still is today,” Pritzker stated, affirming the state’s position.
In Chicago, there are laws that prohibit city agencies and law enforcement from assisting ICE agents in immigration enforcement actions, and similar provisions exist under Illinois law.
image source from：https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/chicago-among-sanctuary-cities-targeted-by-trump-executive-order/3732428/
