Donald Trump announces massive crackdown on Sanctuary Cities as White House draws its red line
Washington D.C.: President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday titled 'Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens', in which he stated some state and local officials “use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws”. The executive order says this amounts to a “lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law”.
The EO slammed the previous administration for allowing millions of illegal immigrants to enter unchecked, creating severe public safety and national security risks. "Cartels, terrorists, and criminal organizations now exploit the porous southern border, threatening American communities," the EO stated.
It added: "Yet some state and local officials continue to obstruct federal immigration enforcement, defying US law and undermining border security. Such actions constitute a dangerous nullification of federal authority, potentially violating multiple criminal statutes. Sanctuary policies may also violate civil rights laws by discriminating against US citizens in favor of illegal immigrants.
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The EO also laid out the actions that will be taken by the federal government:
Within 30 days, the Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary will publish a list of states and localities obstructing immigration enforcement, with regular updates. These jurisdictions will be formally notified of their noncompliance.
Federal agencies will suspend or terminate grants and contracts to sanctuary jurisdictions, cutting off funding to those flouting federal law.
The Justice Department and DHS will pursue all available legal measures to compel compliance, including prosecuting violations of federal immigration laws.
DHS will implement stricter eligibility checks to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving federal public benefits in sanctuary areas.
The Attorney General will challenge state and local policies that unlawfully favor illegal immigrants over US citizens, such as preferential tuition or lenient sentencing.