President Donald Trump is set to sign two executive orders aimed at highlighting and punishing so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, the White House said Monday, escalating a legal and political battle already raging in federal courts.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the first order will "strengthen and unleash America's law enforcement to pursue and protect innocent citizens." The second will direct the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to publish a list of jurisdictions that "obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws."
"It's quite simple: 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 the nation's communities," Leavitt said during a morning press briefing. "This administration is determined to enforce our immigration laws."
The executive orders come as the administration faces mounting setbacks in court. On April 24, U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco blocked the Trump administration's latest attempt to withhold federal funding from 16 cities and counties over their sanctuary policies. In his ruling, Orrick wrote, "The threat to withhold funding causes them irreparable injury in the form of budgetary uncertainty, deprivation of constitutional rights, and undermining trust between the Cities and Counties and the communities they serve."
Among the jurisdictions challenging Trump's policies are San Francisco, Portland, Minneapolis, and Seattle. Cities argue that cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement would erode public trust and strain local resources.
The administration's focus on sanctuary cities intensified following the arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who was charged April 18 with allegedly interfering with a federal immigration enforcement operation. Authorities claim Dugan directed federal agents away from a deportable immigrant appearing in her courtroom. Trump called Dugan "terrible" during remarks on April 27.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem are leading the effort to spotlight sanctuary jurisdictions. Bondi has also filed lawsuits against Illinois, Chicago, Cook County, and New York State's Department of Motor Vehicles, accusing them of obstructing federal immigration enforcement.
"The American public doesn't want illegal criminal aliens in their communities," Leavitt said. "They made that quite clear on Nov. 5."
Trump's immigration crackdown has remained a central theme of his second term, with border czar Tom Homan declaring border crossings at "historic low" levels. Homan is scheduled to visit Rochester, New York, on April 29 to support local law enforcement officers who were disciplined after assisting a Homeland Security official.
