Pres. Trump urged Congressional Leadership to block funds from going to jurisdictions operating under sanctuary policies, specifically calling out city officials in California, New York, Denver, and Colorado, for their repeated refusal to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
"Protecting the safety and well-being of American citizens is my highest duty as president," Pres. Trump said. "Yet, lawless sanctuary jurisdictions are nullifying federal law, obstructing immigration enforcement, and releasing thousands of criminal aliens into U.S. communities to prey on innocent victims. It's absolutely terrible."
He went on to criticize Oakland, Calif. Mayor Libby Schaaf for giving Bay Area residents a 24-hour notice of pending ICE raids, providing criminal illegal aliens an opportunity to "scatter and hide from local authorities."
"The mayor's conduct directly threatened the safety of federal immigration officers and the law-abiding Americans in her community," the President said. "Sanctuary jurisdictions are the best friend of smugglers, gang members, drug dealers, human traffickers, killers, and other violent offenders.
"We want our cities to be sanctuaries for Americans, not safe havens for criminals. That is why I am calling on Congress to block funds for jurisdictions that shield dangerous criminals.
"It is time to end the bloodshed brought about by reckless sanctuary policies - and it is time to save American lives and American cities."
The President's statement comes after the Justice Department sued the state of California last week for allegedly obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration law and requested that the court issue a state-wide preliminary injunction to block enforcement of sanctuary policies the state passed last year.
