‘Sanctuary Cities’ Refuse to Be Bullied by Trump’s Threats to Cut Funding

Bill Smith / CC BY 2.0

Seattle, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Providence, R.I., are among several cities to declare they will protect undocumented immigrants despite Donald Trump’s possibly unconstitutional ultimatums. Perhaps the most cutting response has come from his home city of New York, where officials have pointed out that reducing funding could result in a security hazard for Trump and his family.

It seems the newly minted president has forgotten that two can play his game.

From The Associated Press:

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee called Trump’s executive orders on immigration mean-spirited and unnecessary. California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, a Los Angeles Democrat, tweeted: “See you in court.”

In New York, Trump’s hometown, city officials said the administration’s action could take away over $150 million in law enforcement funding mainly for counterterrorism efforts, protecting international missions and dignitaries and, arguably, safeguarding Trump Tower, city officials said.

“Here in New York City and in cities across this nation, this order could in fact undermine public safety,” Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference Wednesday evening — a concern echoed by District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser. … White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the Trump administration is going to “strip federal grant money from the sanctuary states and cities that harbor illegal immigrants.”

Trump signed an executive order that appeared more limited than that. It referred to withholding Justice Department and Homeland Security funds from only those jurisdictions that bar local officials from communicating with federal authorities about someone’s immigration status.

— Posted by Natasha Hakimi Zapata