Who’s winning the immigrant taffy pull?
On Thursday, April 10, President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post: “No more Sanctuary Cities! They protect the Criminals, not the Victims.” The president went on to say that he plans to use the power of the purse “to withhold all Federal Funding for any City or State that allows these Death Traps to exist!!!” Within hours, the left-wing media churned out copy, maintaining there is no evidence that sanctuary cities are any more dangerous than non-sanctuary jurisdictions.
The left claims anecdotes rather than facts fuel the president’s policy position. But fact-checking misses the point. What if even one act of violence could have been prevented if there were no sanctuary cities? And what if your daughter or son were the victim of immigrant crime? Wouldn’t that be worth a change in policy? As Vice President JD Vance famously said to ABC News Anchor Martha Raddatz when she downplayed Venezuelan gang member activity in Colorado last year, “Do you hear yourself?”
The Growth of Sanctuary Cities
A working definition of a sanctuary city is a municipality that refuses to permit the federal government to exercise its jurisdiction over illegal immigrants within the confines of its borders. In essence, it hinders the rule of law in a specific location. Such a declaration is designed to give preference to the immigrant over the citizen resident. Extrapolating such a policy into other crime areas, a city or county could declare itself a haven for robbery, assault, or even, unimaginably, homicide.
Sanctuary cities – though the term sanctuary counties might be more appropriate, as that’s what most of them actually are – saw rapid growth during the Biden administration when illegal immigration grew exponentially. As of March 3, 2025, the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) tallied more than 170 sanctuary-designated jurisdictions in the US, including 13 states.
With the turnover in the executive branch and President Trump’s determination to keep his promise to make America safer, states are reacting in various ways regarding internal sanctuary status. For example, New Hampshire recently passed a bill that would ban such designated areas and “require law enforcement agencies to comply with immigration detainers,” according to one Granite State publication.
However, other, more left-wing states appear to be digging in and perhaps even relishing an anticipated court battle over the president’s policy to rid the nation of sanctuary jurisdictions. Chicago – which comes in at number six in a 2025 listing of the Top 10 cities for homicide – is doubling down on its preferential treatment of immigrants. Writing on behalf of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, spokesperson Cassio Mendoza responded to Trump’s social media post, saying: “Mayor Johnson’s administration will vigorously defend Chicagoans from any unconstitutional or unlawful attempts to strip residents of the funding and services that they are entitled to.”
Rep. James Comer Ratchets Up the Heat
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) came to the president’s aid in a post written on the X platform:
“I’m calling on Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul to appear for a public @GOPoversight hearing on May 15 to testify about their states’ reckless sanctuary policies.
“Harboring aliens is a federal crime. Sanctuary policies championed by these governors jeopardize the safety of Americans and defy U.S. immigration laws.
“President Trump is preparing to take executive action to withhold federal funding from sanctuary states. Working alongside President Trump, Congress must ensure federal immigration law is enforced and that criminal aliens are swiftly removed from our communities.”
In response to Comer’s post, one frustrated commenter noted: “Past such hearings have left the blue governors confident that they are not going to be held accountable for anything!” But this time, things might turn out differently. By threatening to take away federal dollars, President Trump has signaled he’s finished with states wanting to continue sanctuary policies that go against ICE immigrant detainers and are playing a losing game of sanctuary roulette with millions in federal funds.
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