Trump is threatening to cut funding from sanctuary cities. Here's what to know
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- The Trump administration is intensifying pressure on sanctuary cities by threatening to cut federal funding, aiming to force greater cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amid heightened tensions in Minnesota following a fatal ICE-related incident.
- President Trump has set a February 1 deadline for sanctuary cities to comply, but legal challenges have repeatedly blocked attempts to withhold federal funds, with courts ruling that the government cannot coerce local governments into changing immigration policies.
- Sanctuary cities, which limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, are largely led by Democrats who argue that their policies promote public safety by maintaining trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.
- The legal debate centers on the balance of power between federal immigration enforcement and state/local law enforcement autonomy, with courts
