On Monday, the Trump administration escalated its confrontation with Democratic-led states and cities over immigration control, with the president signing executive orders that will “unleash America’s law enforcement to pursue criminals” and direct federal agencies to publish a list of “sanctuary cities” that do not cooperate with immigration agents.
“This president is trying to simply enforce our nation’s immigration laws and is facing roadblock after roadblock,” said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, “We’re going to continue to forge ahead with this mass deportation campaign.”
According to the new executive order, local and state officials who obstruct the administration are committing “a lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law and the Federal Government’s obligation to defend the territorial sovereignty of the United States.”
Sanctuary cities as well as states that become part of the Trump administration’s “blacklist” could face the revocation of federal funding, as well as criminal and civil lawsuits if they continue to oppose the federal government’s immigration program.
“It’s quite simple,” Leavitt added in the briefing with border czar Tom Homan. “Obey the law, respect the law, and don’t obstruct federal immigration officials and law enforcement officials when they are simply trying to remove public safety threats from our nation’s communities.”
The spokeswoman explained that the president has signed more than 140 executive orders in three months, a number that approaches the total number of EOs by the Biden administration over the course of his four years in office. However, the current federal government is already encountering legal obstacles in its attempt to penalize sanctuary cities.
Last week, a federal judge in California barred the administration from denying or conditioning the use of federal funds to San Francisco and 12 other municipalities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“We are completely committed to suing the president whenever we have standing and he’s violated the law, and we will,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. After the executive orders were published, Bonta said he intends to review them and take new legal action if necessary.
