Former President Donald Trump has vowed to eliminate all sanctuary cities in the United States if he secures another term in office. During a Fox News town hall on October 15, 2024, Trump declared that his administration would tackle sanctuary cities “immediately,” utilizing the Aliens Act of 1798 to enforce federal immigration laws. These cities, which often limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, are seen by Trump as "protecting criminals" rather than upholding the rule of law.
Trump’s comments came in response to a question from a Georgia voter concerned about the murder of Laken Riley, a young nursing student who was allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant. The former president stressed that sanctuary cities represent a danger to public safety and vowed to use executive action to remove these protections as quickly as possible.
Former President Donald Trump promised to end sanctuary cities for migrants, ban biological boys in girls sports and cut energy bills in half, if reelected, during an all-female town hall on Fox News.https://t.co/G5ANyeDE9w
— KSL (@KSLcom) October 17, 2024
Throughout his campaign, Trump has doubled down on immigration reform, promising to take a hardline approach. His plan includes sending a bill to Congress on his first day in office that would ban sanctuary cities across the nation. He has also promised to deploy federal law enforcement to any city failing to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stating that he would hold these jurisdictions accountable for harboring illegal immigrants.
During a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, Trump expanded on his proposal, announcing that federal law enforcement would be sent to sanctuary cities immediately upon his return to the White House. He emphasized the need to arrest and deport criminals, including drug dealers, gang members, and other violent offenders, who he believes are being protected by sanctuary city policies.
ABC is telling you Donald Trump is lying about the FEMA response.
Strange here is an earlier report they did on how FEMA allocating 800 million dollars towards helping sanctuary cities pay the high costs of illegal immigration. pic.twitter.com/yzE4l8pcgp— Johnny Midnight ⚡️ (@its_The_Dr) October 9, 2024
Sanctuary cities are municipalities that adopt policies to limit their cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, such as refusing to hand over illegal immigrants to ICE when requested. These policies, Trump argues, create an unsafe environment, particularly in large urban areas. He has blamed Democratic leadership for perpetuating these policies, claiming that many of America’s largest cities have been poorly managed and allow illegal immigrants to commit crimes with impunity.
Trump’s harsh rhetoric on sanctuary cities has been a consistent theme in his political career, dating back to his first term as president. In 2017, he attempted to withhold federal funding from sanctuary jurisdictions, though the move faced legal challenges. Now, he is taking an even more aggressive stance, promising to use every tool at his disposal to force compliance with federal immigration laws.
The issue has been a flashpoint in recent years, with high-profile crimes involving illegal immigrants fueling demands for stricter immigration enforcement. Trump has frequently pointed to cases like that of Kathryn Steinle, a San Francisco woman killed by an illegal immigrant in 2015, as justification for his approach. He has also drawn parallels between his proposed actions and the mass deportations carried out under President Dwight Eisenhower, asserting that his plan would surpass even those efforts.
Trump's promise to end sanctuary cities plays into his broader campaign narrative of restoring law and order, which has been central to his platform for the 2024 election. His proposal has been met with enthusiasm from his supporters, particularly those who view sanctuary cities as undermining public safety. However, it remains to be seen how successful Trump would be in implementing these changes if reelected, given the legal and logistical challenges posed by such sweeping reforms.
