Donald Trump to Cut Off Payments to Sanctuary Cities, States [View all]
Source: Newsweek
Jan 13, 2026 at 05:51 PM EST
President Donald Trump announced during a speech at the Detroit Economic Club that starting February 1, all federal payments to "sanctuary cities" and the states that house them will be cut off.
Trump argued that these jurisdictions protect criminals at the expense of American citizens, leading to increased crime and fraud, and stated that the U.S. can no longer bear the public service costs of millions of undocumented immigrants.
Under the new plan, states like California are given a 90-day window to turn over those who entered the country illegally, while nearly 8,000 small business loans in Minnesota will be suspended due to suspected fraud. Additionally, a new "legal strike force" within the Department of Justice will target naturalized immigrants who defrauded citizens for denaturalization.
In response, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accused Trump of "political retribution," claiming the state is being punished for not voting for him three times. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also announced that they would file lawsuits to defend the rights of Chicagoans against the administration's "lawless actions."
This move to withhold federal funding is expected to face extensive legal challenges and lawsuits from states, similar to previous attempts.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-payments-funding-sanctuary-cities-states-11354460
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