Trump Renews Threat to Cut Funds from Sanctuary Cities Starting Feb 1

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he will cut off all federal funding to sanctuary cities and states that resist his administration's immigration policies, with the change set to begin on February 1. He made the statement during a public appearance, calling these places corrupt criminal protection centers. The move targets areas like several cities and counties in the Bay Area, and California as a whole, which follows sanctuary policies.

Background

Sanctuary policies have been around for years in many parts of the country. These rules mean local police and jails do not fully cooperate with federal immigration agents. For example, they might not tell federal officials when they have someone in custody for a minor crime if that person is undocumented. Cities and states adopted these policies to build trust with immigrant communities, so people feel safe reporting crimes without fear of deportation.

Trump first raised this issue during his earlier time in office. He tried to pull back funding from places that did not help with deportations. Back then, the federal government sends billions of dollars to states and cities for things like schools, roads, health care, and public safety. California alone got about $175 billion from the federal government in the last fiscal year. Losing even part of that money would hurt local budgets a lot.

Courts stepped in multiple times during those years. Judges said the president cannot use money as a weapon to force local governments to follow federal immigration rules. They pointed to the Constitution, which gives Congress control over spending, not the president alone. One key ruling came from cases where the administration tried to tie grants to cooperation on immigration. Federal appeals courts blocked those efforts, saying they went too far.

This new threat comes after Trump took office again. He has talked about it before, but now he says it starts February 1 for all sanctuary areas. That includes not just cities, but whole states if they have sanctuary local governments inside them. Legal fights from his first term set the stage, and experts expect more court battles soon.

Key Details

Trump made the announcement on Tuesday, doubling down in comments on Wednesday. He wants to end what he calls protection for criminals in these areas. Sanctuary places, he said, let people out of jail who should face deportation.

What Counts as a Sanctuary Area

Dozens of cities across the US follow these policies. In California, San Francisco, Oakland, and several counties limit how much they share with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. The state itself passed laws in 2017 to back local sanctuary efforts. Other states like New York and Illinois have similar setups. Even some smaller towns have rules that match this.

The funding at risk covers a wide range. It includes money for highways, Medicaid health programs for the poor, education grants, and disaster relief. Last year, federal aid made up a big part of many state budgets. Cutting it all off would mean layoffs for teachers, delays in road repairs, and less help for hospitals.

Law professors who study this say the plan breaks rules on how the government works. The president cannot decide spending on his own. Congress sets the conditions for grants, and those must relate directly to the grant's purpose. For instance, you cannot make highway money depend on immigration help. Past plans tried to target specific grants, but courts said no. This one goes further by hitting all funds.

"Going forward, you can put conditions on new grants, and then states and localities can say, we want the money, we don't want the money." – David Levine, UC School of Law Professor

Experts like Levine point out that local areas can choose. They might drop sanctuary rules to keep the cash, or fight in court and lose some aid. But the threat alone puts pressure on elected leaders.

Federal officials have not released a full list of affected places yet. They also have not said exactly how they will enforce the cuts. Some grants already have strings attached by Congress, like requirements to share some immigration data. This plan seems to ignore those limits.

What This Means

If Trump follows through, lawsuits will start right away. Groups that defend immigrants, city attorneys, and state leaders plan to go to court fast. They will argue the same points that won before: the president oversteps his power, and the cuts coerce local governments against the Constitution.

Cities like San Francisco say they will not change their policies. Leaders there point to lower crime rates and better community ties from sanctuary rules. They get federal money through many channels, and sorting out which to cut will take time and lead to more legal fights.

States could lose the most. California relies on federal dollars for one-third of its spending. A full cutoff would force tough choices, like raising taxes or cutting services. Other states with sanctuary cities, even red ones, might feel ripples if courts let any cuts go through.

Businesses and hospitals worry too. Many employ immigrants and use federal programs. Disruptions could slow the economy in affected areas. Nationally, it tests how far the federal government can push locals on policy.

Court watchers expect the Supreme Court to weigh in eventually. Lower courts blocked similar moves before, and the high court has not fully settled the issue. Rulings could come by summer, depending on how fast cases move.

Local police say sanctuary policies do not block all cooperation. They still hand over people convicted of serious crimes. The fight centers on minor cases, where federal agents want early notice.

Trump's team says the cuts will make borders safer and reduce crime. They point to cases where released immigrants later committed offenses. Local leaders counter that data shows sanctuary areas are not more dangerous.

As February 1 nears, talks between federal and local officials may pick up. Some places might negotiate to keep funds flowing. Others will dig in. The outcome will shape how the US handles immigration enforcement for years.