If Donald Trump follows through on campaign promises, dozens of US communities will feel the effects of his presidency on day one.
If Donald Trump follows through on campaign promises, dozens of US communities will feel the effects of his presidency on day one.
Trump’s agenda for his first day in office, released at the end of October, includes canceling all federal funding to “sanctuary cities.” Those are the roughly 300 cities and counties—governed by liberals and conservatives—that have policies in place blocking local law enforcement from targeting undocumented immigrants. The policies range from prohibiting asking questions about legal status to disregarding requests from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to keep immigrants in jail until they can be taken into federal custody.
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The practice is not without controversy—in San Francisco last year, Kate Steinle was allegedly shot and killed by an undocumented immigrant who police had released without alerting ICE, even though he’d been deported several times in the past. But the hope is that by separating federal immigration efforts from local authorities, immigrants in these communities will continue to trust the police. If they believe local enforcement is an extension of ICE, immigrants won’t call in crimes or help with investigations, the rationale goes. The policies also help municipalities avoid lawsuits over violations of citizens’ and inmates’ rights.
So far, Republican-led initiatives to stop federal funding to sanctuary cities have failed in Congress. But under the looming specter of president-elect Trump, such cities are already bracing for cuts, which could affect everything from health care spending to infrastructure investment. Officials in San Francisco estimate they receive more than $1 billion a year from the federal government. Seattle mayor Ed Murray told locals they might need a new tax to fund efforts to reduce homelessness because he intends to maintain the city’s “sanctuary” status.
“These are our neighbors, and we will continue to support our neighbors,” Murray said on Nov. 9.
Here’s a list of all “sanctuary” jurisdictions as compiled by the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for limiting immigration.
States
Cities and Counties
Arizona
California (in addition to all counties)
Colorado (in addition to all counties)
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
New Mexico (in addition to all counties)
New York
North Dakota
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Texas
Virginia
Washington
Washington, DC
Wisconsin
