WASHINGTON — Tom Homan, who will be President-elect Trump’s border czar, said that he plans to cut government funding to states that won’t help deport undocumented immigrants. This move could have a big effect on safe states. The states in question, according to Global Refuge, are Washington, Colorado, California, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
Sanctuary states are places where undocumented immigrants are safe from federal immigration rules. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says that these practices often include not following through with requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain people, even if those people have been convicted of serious felonies.
There are limits to what the federal government can do when it comes to withholding money from states or cities. In 1987, the Supreme Court case South Dakota v. Dole said that conditions for federal funding must be clear, linked to the purpose of the funding, and not too strict. Still, these kinds of acts are possible if Congress agrees to them.
Democratic mayors and governors across the country have promised to fight against the Trump administration’s plans to remove a lot of people. Tom Homan, Trump’s new border czar, has even said that leaders like Mike Johnston, the mayor of Denver, could go to jail for not following immigration rules.
Homan also told Fox News that states and cities that fight deportation efforts could lose government funds. Pew Research says that in fiscal year 2022, 36.4%, or $1.11 trillion, of all the money that states made came from federal funds. State and local budgets would be put under a lot of stress if they lost this money.
Similar things were done during Trump’s first term, but court challenges are likely. The Washington Post pointed out that court cases over federal budget cuts could last for years, during which time states and cities might not have access to important resources.
Amid these problems, some Democratic leaders have become more open to working together. For instance, Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, has said he is ready to work with the Trump administration to deport criminal undocumented immigrants.
The financial and legal effects of these policies are expected to cause a lot of discussion and lawsuits in the coming months.
