President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order putting sanctuary cities in the crosshairs. In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is also putting sanctuary cities in his state on notice, threating to cut off funding. He also said he would remove officeholders, mostly likely local sheriffs, who refuse to comply. Now, the Left argues that the policy is not meant to shield illegal immigrants, but to provide them with an avenue to report crimes without fear of deportations. So, it’s a law and order initiative, you see? Try telling that to family members who have lost loved ones to illegal immigrants.
Christine wrote about Laura Wilkerson, whose son Josh was tortured and murdered by an illegal, asking House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi which of her grandchildren would be expendable due to her support of this policy. Yet, as we debate this policy, let’s also discuss that $27 billion goes to cities that offer sanctuary status. Liz Harrington of The Washington Free Beacon has more:
Sanctuary cities receive over $27 billion each year from the federal government, giving President Donald Trump significant leverage over cities such as New York and San Francisco to enforce immigration law, according to a new report.OpenTheBooks.com identified 106 sanctuary cities in the United States in their oversight report, released Friday. In all, cities that ignore federal law by harboring illegal immigrants are receiving $27.741 billion in grants and direct payments in fiscal year 2016.
Twenty-two percent of the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States live in just 12 American cities, according to the report. Those cities, which include New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, received $15.983 billion in federal funds.
"On average, the cost of lost federal funding for a family of four residing in one of the 106 sanctuary cities is $1,810—or $454 per person," OpenTheBooks.com said. "A total population of 46.2 million residents live in the 106 sanctuary cities according to census data."
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez recently issued a directive instructing law enforcement to abide by President Trump’s order on immigration, ending the county’s de facto sanctuary status. Other mayors from Portland, New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, have vowed to defy Trump’s order.