Trump team eyes funding showdown with 'sanctuary cities' over immigration [View all]

Source: Washington Post

Updated November 26, 2024 at 6:05 p.m. EST|Published November 26, 2024 at 1:06 p.m. EST


President-elect Donald Trump’s advisers are discussing how to unilaterally strip federal resources from Chicago and other Democratic-run cities if they refuse to participate in deportations of undocumented immigrants next year, according to three people familiar with the conversations. Advisers to Trump have pushed for using federal pressure — such as withholding federal funds — against municipalities that don’t cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on deportations, the people said. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe efforts not yet made public.

Trump vowed mass deportations during his campaign — eliciting fierce pushback from some Democratic mayors in “sanctuary cities” and governors in blue states, some of whom are already promising to defy the president-elect’s pledges. He tried to slash funds to those jurisdictions in his first term, but with only limited success, and any similar effort in his second term could also run into roadblocks. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) told The Washington Post that “there will not be any cooperation” with ICE deportations and that the city will challenge any threats to its funding.

Trump allies have also discussed the idea publicly, including billionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, the co-leader with fellow entrepreneur Elon Musk of Trump’s nongovernmental “Department of Government Efficiency” panel to suggest cuts to the federal budget. “Not an iota, not a cent of government spending should go to subsidize this,” Ramaswamy said on Nov. 10 on ABC’s “This Week,” referring to cities that don’t enforce immigration law. “Not to sanctuary cities, not to federal aid to people who are in this country illegally, and we’re going to see a large number, by the millions, of self-deportations as well.”

These dueling positions could set off a major clash between the new administration and elected leaders around the country — with no clear legal mechanism for resolution. Cities such as Chicago, Denver and San Francisco depend on federal funds for everything from transportation to housing — but they are also led by Trump critics who have promised to protect immigrants in their communities.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/11/26/trump-mass-deportation-sanctuary-cities-doge-immigration/