Immigration Crackdown: Trump Vows to Crack Down on Sanctuary Cities Like DC

President Trump is expected to sign an executive order as early as Wednesday cracking down on the more than 300 sanctuary cities, according to sources who spoke with Patch, and Washington, D.C. is one of the most prominent sanctuary cities in the country.

The details of the order are reportedly still being worked out but could include withholding federal funds to those local governments that offer sanctuary to illegal immigrants.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser reaffirmed back in November shortly after Trump's upset win in the presidential election that the District would remain a sanctuary city.

"The values, laws, and policies of Washington, DC did not change on Election Day," she said in a Nov. 14 statement. "We celebrate our diversity and respect all DC residents no matter their immigration status. We are a sanctuary city because we know that our neighborhoods are safer and stronger when no one is afraid to call on our government for help, and when our police can focus on protecting and serving."

The action against sanctuary municipalities is expected to be one part of a series of executive orders on immigration issues that will be unveiled over a couple of days — the most notable of which will be an order formally moving forward with Trump's campaign promise to build a wall on the Mexican border.

The promise to "build a wall" was the most common refrain at Trump's campaign rallies last year. He would ask, "What are we going to do?" and the crowds would respond, "Build a wall." He would then ask, "Who's going to pay for it?" and they would respond, "Mexico."

It's expected that the executive order Trump signs Wednesday will authorize moving forward with the wall even though Mexico has not agreed to pay for it.

Administration officials have said that the work on the wall could begin and that Mexico would be forced to pay for it down the road, though a mechanism for making that happen has not been spelled out.

Trump is also expected to impose visa restrictions for people from the Middle East and suspend the program that admits refugees into the United States.

The sources who spoke with Patch were not sure what would be announced on Wednesday and what on Thursday.

The signing is expected to happen Wednesday when Trump visits the Department of Homeland Security for a 1:25 p.m. Eastern town hall meeting with employees.

Sanctuary cities and counties are called that because they offer sanctuary to illegal immigrants, refusing to turn them over to federal officials for deportation. Most sanctuary cities and counties have also passed laws preventing employees from even turning over information to immigration officials.

While it is the cities — such as Portland, Seattle, New York, San Francisco and Chicago — that tend to get the most notice, it is often counties, which usually run the jails, that have real power to protect immigrants.

Sources say the most likely target of funding would be the various grants given to local governments through the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security.

The two departments administer billions in grants — many of which go to law enforcement agencies in the more than 300 cities and counties that have declared themselves sanctuary cities.

These range from Homeland Security's Urban Area Security Initiative, which helps cities prepare for acts of terrorism, to the Edward Byrne Grant Program, which was named for a New York City Police Officer killed in the line of duty and provides funding for a range of programs including crime victim assistance, drug patrols and drug treatment.

Portland has been expecting the Trump administration to act against sanctuary cities. During the campaign, he often vowed that, if elected, he would move to cut funds going to these cities.

Last week, Portland's city council adopted a series of legislative priorities that included defending its status as a sanctuary city.

"The City of Portland will strongly oppose legislative and administrative actions to limit eligibility of federal funding based on a city’s status as a 'sanctuary city,'" the council said.

"The removal of a city’s eligibility could have severe impact on the ability to provide public safety or public services, and could harm public trust within immigrant communities."

Officials in Portland and Multnomah County are said to be monitoring the developments, waiting to see what the president actually signs before deciding on a response.

One possibility being considered would be to challenge the legality of the executive order in court.

Story by Colin Miner, with additional reporting by Dan Taylor

Photo via Donald Trump's official Twitter account