Trump Set to Crack Down on Tolland County as a 'Sanctuary City'

TOLLAND, CT — President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order as early as Wednesday that would block federal funds to so-called undocumented immigrant “sanctuary cities” around the country, including Tolland County.

Yes the "county" is listed as a sanctuary "city" by the federal government.

New Haven and Hartford are two actual cities.

The two Connecticut cities are often labeled as sanctuary cities because their police departments don’t ask people about immigration status and don’t detain people for federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, according to WNPR.

Gov. Dannel Malloy said in November that the state would sue if the Trump administration attempted to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities.

The most likely target of funding would be grants given through the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security, both of which administer billions in grants a year, according to sources that spoke with Patch.

Grants from those departments help fund cities to prepare for terrorism attacks, increase drug patrols, boost drug treatment and assist crime victims.

New Haven Mayor Toni Harp pledged in December that the city would remain a sanctuary city as long as she is mayor, according to the New Haven Independent.

Sanctuary cities are generally defined as a city that limits assisting federal immigration officials through laws or policies. There is no official classification. There are more than 300 cities that would meet the common definition.

Trump is expected to sign several executive orders in the coming days regarding immigration issues. He promised on Twitter Tuesday that a wall would be built at the Mexican border. He is also expected to impose visa restrictions on people coming from the Middle East and suspend the program that allows refugees into the United States.

Additional reporting by Colin Miner and Rich Scinto, Patch Staff

Photo Credit: The White House