Trump Management Targets Sanctuary Cities⁢ with Executive Order

WASHINGTON – The trump administration announced Monday it would take action against jurisdictions offering ⁣sanctuary to undocumented immigrants. The move came in the form of an executive order.

Directives to Attorney General and ⁣Homeland Security

According to a white House spokeswoman, the executive order directs the Attorney General and the Secretary‍ of National Security, then-acting ICE Director Tom Homan, to publish a list of state and local jurisdictions deemed to be ⁤obstructing ‍federal immigration laws.

Origins and Scope of Sanctuary Cities

The concept of “sanctuary” cities emerged in the 1980s to protect Central American refugees. It has since expanded ⁣to encompass immigrants in general, with protections now in place in 10 ⁣states and dozens of local jurisdictions.

White House Rationale

The White House spokeswoman stated the aim is to “protect U.S. communities from foreign criminals.” The declaration coincided with the begining of the festivity of the then-President’s first 100 days in office.

Prior Actions Against Sanctuary Policies

In February of that year, the Trump⁣ administration announced ⁤a lawsuit against the state of Illinois, along with the withholding of federal resources from administrations that promote sanctuary policies.

Chicago‘s Protections

Chicago has some of the⁤ strongest protections for migrants, limiting cooperation with Immigration and ⁣Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal immigration authorities⁣ in certain cases involving arrests and deportations.

Federal government Seeks Broader restrictions

The February lawsuit sought court support to block ⁣sanctuary policies in other states, counties, and cities with large undocumented migrant populations, including Los Angeles, New York, Houston, and atlanta.

Sanctuary Movement History

The Sanctuary Movement originated in 1982 when the federal government denied asylum to migrants from politically unstable Central American countries, ‍prompting several churches in the Southwest to declare themselves sanctuaries for refugees.

Strengthening Law Enforcement

The spokeswoman added that another directive signed by then-President ‍Trump aimed to strengthen U.S. law enforcement “to persecute criminals and protect innocent citizens.”

Potential Use of Military Facilities

Homan said the U.S. anticipated holding migrants in Department of Defence facilities like⁢ Fort Bliss in Texas “in the very close future.”

Executive ‍Orders Compared

The administration stated that with the signing of these executive orders, the then-President would have completed more then 140 such initiatives, “quickly⁢ approaching the total number signed by the Biden administration in its four years of mandate.”