Trump anti-sanctuary city executive order could target federal funding, says expert

President Donald Trump is expected to take aim at so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions with an executive order on Thursday in what is likely to become another legal battle for the administration.

Trump hinted earlier this week that an executive order on sanctuary cities may be in the works, telling reporters that he planned to “end sanctuary cities for some of these jurisdictions that aren’t cooperating with law enforcement.”

“They’re guarding criminals… we may just end the entire thing all together,” Trump said.

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President Donald Trump has battled with sanctuary cities since taking office in January. (Getty Images)

Sanctuary jurisdictions, or those that limit or completely ban local agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, have come under fire since Trump took office in January, hindering the president’s campaign promise to swiftly deport illegal immigrants from the country.

However, what Trump could do with executive action to force more compliance from the jurisdictions remains a question, opening up the possibility of even more legal action against the administration.

“While [Trump] works tirelessly to safeguard our communities and strengthen our national security, the radical left continues to weaponize the legal system to oppose common-sense policies,” former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel J. Cameron, who currently serves as the CEO of the 1792 Exchange, told Fox News Digital. “It will surprise no one that the radical left will double and triple down on this strategy.”

Trump has faced an unprecedented number of court obstacles during the first few months of his administration, with legal challenges resulting in 15 injunctions at least temporarily blocking his executive actions as of February, according to data compiled by Harvard Law Review. That number already outpaces the total injunctions faced by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, who saw 12 and 14 during their entire terms in office, respectively.

President Donald Trump is expected to sign multiple executive orders on Thursday. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

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Cameron expects more of the same when it comes to Trump’s looming order on sanctuary cities. “It will surprise no one that the radical left will double and triple down on this strategy,” he said.

Given the limitations, Cameron expects Trump’s order to target federal funding for jurisdictions who fail to comply.

“Inside of the United States, your zip code should be irrelevant when it comes to enforceable federal law.,” he said. “Cities and states that harbor illegal aliens from federal authorities or otherwise actively interfere with the enforcement of federal law do not deserve taxpayer money or support. Plain and simple. I suspect the executive order will stop taxpayers from being on the hook for the unsafe immigration decisions of local authorities.”

ICE agents get very little, if any, help from the local law enforcement agencies of sanctuary cities. (ICE Seattle)

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Overall, Cameron believes that Trump’s plan to sign an executive order would be a good start, noting the success the president has had with executive actions to close down the southern border.

“Executive orders are a good first step,” Camerson said. “Look at the southern border. We didn’t need new laws for border crossings to plummet from the Biden-era highs. All we needed was a new president with the courage to do something.”