President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced plans to freeze federal funding to so-called sanctuary cities and states, signaling a sharp escalation in his administration’s immigration enforcement agenda and setting the stage for renewed legal battles with local governments.
Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said the funding freeze would begin on Feb. 1 and target jurisdictions that, in his words, “protect criminals at the expense of American citizens.”
“Starting Feb. 1, we’re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do everything to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens and it breeds fraud and crime and all of the other problems that come,” Trump said.
He added, “So we’re not making any payments to anybody that supports sanctuary cities.”
When pressed by reporters later in the day for details on which federal programs would be affected, Trump declined to specify but warned the impact would be substantial. “You’ll see. It’ll be significant,” he said..
Sanctuary cities are jurisdictions that adopt policies limiting cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. Supporters of these policies argue they help build trust between police and immigrant communities, encouraging crime reporting and community cooperation. The American Immigration Council has long said such policies are designed to promote public safety, not obstruct federal law
Trump has consistently criticized sanctuary jurisdictions, arguing they undermine federal immigration enforcement. Similar efforts during his first administration to restrict federal funding were largely blocked by federal courts, which ruled that the executive branch could not unilaterally impose such conditions on congressionally approved funds.
Since beginning his second term, Trump has revived those efforts. In April, he directed Attorney General Pamela Bondi to compile a list of sanctuary jurisdictions that could face penalties. That list, released in August, named 18 cities, 13 states, and four counties, most of them governed by Democrats.
The administration has already filed lawsuits against several jurisdictions, including New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, challenging their immigration-related policies.
Immigrant advocacy groups swiftly condemned Trump’s latest remarks. “Punishing states and cities that refuse to participate in the federal government’s inhumane and cruel attacks on immigrants is simply a playground bullying tactic,” Mrad Awadeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, said in a statement.
“We expect New York City and other sanctuary jurisdictions to call this bully’s bluff by litigating this egregious violation of our City and State’s 10th Amendment rights and the federal government’s responsibility to provide essential services to all counties, cities and states.”
Local leaders echoed that stance. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city would not compromise its policies under federal pressure.
“Our values and our laws are not bargaining chips,” Mamdani said on social media. “We will always defend New Yorkers, even in the face of federal threats to withhold funding.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson took an even firmer tone, responding directly to the president on X: “See you in court, @realDonald Trump.”
