The District of Columbia could lose $1 billion in federal funding if it defies President Donald Trump and stubbornly remains a sanctuary city.
Jen Budoff, budget director for the D.C. City Council, tweeted out Wednesday that Washington, D.C., receives more than $1 billion in federal money every year allocated to art grants, refugee resettlement and senior nutrition, among other items.
All of those funds and programs could be in jeopardy if D.C. continues its policy of being a sanctuary city. And D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser reaffirmed her intention Wednesday evening to do just that.
Trump is expected to try and remove federal funding for sanctuary cities that shelter illegals, but around the country numerous major cities are stating their resistance. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has threatened to sue the administration. Over in Boston, Mayor Marty Walsh has called the idea of restricting federal funds a “direct attack on Boston’s people, Boston’s strength and Boston’s values.” Twenty-eight percent of Boston residents are immigrants. In total, some 300 sanctuary cities are scattered across the country, according to Walsh.
To combat the legitimacy of sanctuary cities, the Trump administration intends to issue a list every single week of all the crimes committed by illegals in those cities, based on an executive order signed Wednesday. These cities have blocked federal authorities from deporting more than 17,000 illegals, who have committed various crimes.
In an effort to further push back against the Trump administration, D.C. council members introduced legislation earlier this week to allow non-citizens in the city to vote in local elections.
There are about 70,000 immigrants in D.C. Of that total, 25,000 are illegals.
But not all sanctuary cities are putting up a fight. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez caved Thursday and signed an executive order telling local authorities to respect all requests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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