Cities and counties in the US are preparing to fight to avoid being denied millions of dollars for public safety, which the Trump administration says will be withheld as a high-stakes battle over sanctuary policies begins. While some cities and counties are changing their immigration policies, others are heading to court.
President Donald Trump has decided to make revoking federal government money from sanctuary cities one of his top priorities. He says that cities and counties deliberately limiting the amount of cooperation they provide to immigration authorities are offering a haven for criminal immigrants. Now, several cities and counties have decided to fight back, with some suing the Trump administration. On Monday, California was the first state to become part of the legal battle.
Leaders in Las Vegas and Baltimore have attempted to show the federal government that they are not sanctuary cities to be able to get public safety assistance. Many local governments are also trying to obey the edicts issued by the Trump administration. The result for many counties and cities has been budgetary headaches, fears over growing tension with immigrant communities, increased crime, and ever mounting confusion.
Many experts predict that local-level turmoil and lawsuits will also increase. Yucel Ors, the public safety program director of The National League of Cities, says that cities and countries are not being given clarity about what they must do to avoid the denial of public safety grants.