In response to President Donald Trump’s executive order that he will block federal funding to cities that refuse to comply with federal immigration authorities, a number of GOP states have moved to introduce legislation to block their own state funding to so-called sanctuary cities.
The states include Idaho, Texas, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Cities nationwide including New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Boston, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., have all adopted sanctuary status, Fox News reports.
As of now, local law enforcement agencies are not required to comply with detention requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Some claim declining to enforce federal immigration laws builds trust among the immigrant communities they serve.
The new legislation however would use state grant money as leverage to require local agencies to comply with federal laws.
The Texas state Senate passed a measure Wednesday to block state funding to sanctuary cities. The measure moves to the state House of Representatives and if passed would go before Gov. Greg Abbott for approval.
