Lawsuits and raids: Trump administration intensifies crackdown on sanctuary cities
The Trump administration is increasing its federal action on immigration, threatening legal action, raids and funding cuts to so-called "sanctuary cities."
The Trump administration is increasing its federal action on immigration, threatening legal action, raids and funding cuts to so-called "sanctuary cities."
The Trump administration is increasing its federal action on immigration, threatening legal action, raids and funding cuts to so-called "sanctuary cities."
The Trump administration is scaling up its crackdown on sanctuary cities, warning them to abandon their policies or face more immigration raids and legal action.
The , including , after . The lawsuit claims the city's lack of cooperation with federal immigration officials led to the incident and violates federal law.
These so-called sanctuary policies generally limit local police from coordinating with federal immigration agents on unrelated investigations, which the administration argues protects criminals and endangers officers.
The administration is considering similar actions elsewhere and threatening to cut federal funding and prosecute state and local leaders.
Now, cities like, and Washington, D.C., are either dropping or planning to lose their sanctuary city status to avoid these federal lawsuits.
"Sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals. Hard stop," White House border czar Tom Homan said, "Sanctuary cities are going to get exactly what they don't want: more agents in the communities and more worksite enforcement. Why is that? Because they won't let one agent arrest one bad guy to jail."
More immigration enforcement is expected now that the has passed. The law dedicates $150 billion to expanding detention centers, deportation efforts and border security.
The administration is cracking down not only on sanctuary cities but also on homelessness. On Thursday, to remove homeless people from the streets, directing the Justice Department to help local and state governments force individuals into mental health and substance abuse treatment centers and hospitals.
But critics argue that providing stable and affordable housing along with voluntary support services is a more effective approach. The order follows a .
Watch the latest on the Trump administration's immigration crackdown: