Three sources familiar with the discussions told The Washington Post that President-elect Donald Trump’s advisors are developing plans to cut federal funding from cities that do not comply with the administration’s deportation policies.
Many of the president-elect’s supporters have publicly discussed the idea, with billionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, co-leader of Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” emerging as a key proponent.
Trump has tasked him and Elon Musk with curbing federal spending across all departments, potentially achieving this by blocking the distribution of federal funds in specific jurisdictions.
“Not a single penny of government spending should be used to subsidize this.” Ramaswamy stated earlier this month on ABC’s “This Week” that “we’re going to see a large number, by the millions, of self-deportations.”
“Sanctuary cities” are municipalities that do not enforce federal deportation policies, such as denying US Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to jails.
Advocates of sanctuary policies contend that deportations shatter families and undermine anti-crime measures by deterring individuals from reporting emergencies due to the fear of deportation.
Furthermore, they claim that local police are under no obligation to enforce ICE directives unless a judge signs a criminal warrant.
“Self-deportation,” on the other hand, refers to the idea that migrants will flee the country if their lives become unbearable.
However, Trump clearly does not think most will make the right choice. Instead, he has promised to use the federal government’s full power to carry out mass deportations if elected president.
Now that he has won, blue-state governors and Democratic mayors have vowed to oppose him. It’s similar to what happened after 2016: just as Trump struggled to cut funding to his adversaries then, he’ll likely face similar challenges this time around.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat, told the Post that “there will be no cooperation” on deportations and that he would oppose any federal attempt to defund the city.
“We’re not intimidated or in the least bit afraid of threats that wish to undermine our values or any effort to separate working people from one another,” Johnson informed the crowd. “I will not compromise the work of our local police department by introducing an unjust component.”
In his first term, Trump issued an order directing federal agencies to prevent cities like Chicago from receiving grants, but a judge overturned it.
In 2019, a federal appeals court allowed his Justice Department to give cooperative cities preferential treatment when it comes to community policing grants.
Trump reportedly wants to try a more extensive blockade again, but Matthew Lawrence, an assistant dean at Emory University law school and former White House lawyer, told the Post that local governments could argue that Congress, not the president, should make spending decisions if they sue the Trump administration over funding or lack thereof.
While Democrats may try to create roadblocks in Congress, the GOP will control both houses in the upcoming session, and many Republican lawmakers have expressed support for some form of Trump’s deportation agenda. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., a member of the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox Business on Monday that Congress should consider limiting deductions for state and local taxes to residents of states that enforce Trump’s deportation laws.
Steve Bannon, the far-right operative who helped Trump win in 2016, told the Post that, while the president-elect would be “remorseless” in rescinding federal funds, Democratic governors and mayors would be more concerned about other issues. He maintains that Trump will seek criminal charges against those who defy him.
“This sanctuary cities thing will be an early administration showdown, and I believe Trump will come down as hard as you can see,” according to Bannon.
President Trump will complete the sanctuary cities movement; he will not play games, as this is of utmost importance to the country. You can’t play too aggressively with this crowd; you have to start early and play hard.”
Bannon mentioned Denver, Chicago, and New York City as potential targets.
One of the Post’s sources stated, “I believe Chicago will serve as an example.”