Trump announces federal funding cuts for sanctuary cities and states, including WA
Trump threatens to stop funding sanctuary cities, states
President Trump announced he will cut all federal payments to sanctuary cities and states that refuse to cooperate with ICE and other federal immigration enforcement.
SEATTLE - President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that his administration will cut all federal payments to sanctuary cities and states that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal immigration enforcement.
Seattle Skyline and Space Needle, Puget Sound, Great Northwest. (Photo by Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
What we know:
"Starting February 1st, we are not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do anything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens," Trump said.
The decision could affect Seattle and Washington state as a whole. Trump said he believes sanctuary cities breed crime, fraud and other problems and will not receive federal funding as a result.
What they're saying:
Mike Faulk with the Washington Attorney General’s Office responded to the president’s announcement, saying, "Congress has the power of the purse, and the law says the federal government cannot withhold funds to coerce states to go along with the president’s extreme political agenda."
"The president's previous attempts to make federal funding contingent on state immigration enforcement led to several of our lawsuits against the administration for illegally withholding or canceling grants. So far, they have lost at every turn," Faulk added.
Dig deeper:
FOX 13 asked Seattle’s new mayor, Katie Wilson, about the potential funding cuts last week.
"We’re Seattle, right? We stand by our values, we protect immigrant communities, so we’re not going to compromise on our welcoming city status, right? And at the same time, we need to have a plan in place and make sure that we’re also protecting Seattle residents and communities from the impact of potential funding cuts," Wilson said.
In August, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said he would not change the state’s sanctuary policies despite a deadline from the U.S. Attorney General and early threats from the Department of Justice to pull federal funding from noncompliant states and cities.
What we don't know:
FOX 13 has reached out to Ferguson’s office for comment and is waiting for a response.
This is a developing story.
The Source: Information in this story came from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
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