This is how Trump can break defiant sanctuary cities
These cities believe they're untouchable, but there is a solution hiding in plain sight. President Trump already showed the nation how to deal with institutions that defy federal law. When Columbia University refused to address antisemitism, the Trump administration froze its federal funding and won. That same strategy can dismantle sanctuary policies city by city.
We need a Trump-style course correction—one that applies financial pressure and legal accountability to restore the rule of law.
And make no mistake, sanctuary cities don't just resist immigration enforcement, they force taxpayers to subsidize, feed, and house an invasion force that is causing riots and flooding our streets with crime. Socialism flows from the top down—through blue cities, blue states, and leftist institutions. These cities normalize defiance, celebrate lawlessness, and place politics above public safety.
I speak not only as an attorney but as a legal immigrant who deeply believes in the American Dream and in the laws that protect it. Between June 2023 and July 2024, the New York City Department of Correction only enforced 4% of ICE detention requests. This means they allowed thousands of violent criminals to walk free after being flagged for criminal deportation. Two of them later murdered an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer.
California's Democrats promote and protect the same lawlessness. Since 2022, California declined over 13,000 ICE detainer requests including 72 involving homicide charges. When violent protests erupted in Los Angeles in 2025, requiring the National Guard's intervention, it became painfully clear this was coordinated, intentional chaos.
Local leaders' refusal to enforce immigration laws tells Americans their safety is not a priority. They mask that message in moral rhetoric—pretending it's about protecting the vulnerable. But who is protecting the law-abiding citizens, victims, and business owners? We must start asking who is protected in these so-called sanctuary cities?
America is a nation of laws, not loopholes. However, the growing sanctuary city movement to elevate ideology over enforcement threatens that foundation. If these cities ignore immigration laws today, what stops them from ignoring federal civil rights protections, environmental rules, or national security directives tomorrow? Nothing.
Fortunately, President Trump already demonstrated a playbook that works.
In 2025, his administration held Columbia University accountable after it accepted millions in taxpayer dollars but failed to address antisemitism, violating Title VI. When Columbia refused to act, the administration froze $400 million in federal funding. The school quickly agreed to pay $221 million, reform its policies and settle. That's how you deal with elite institutions that believe they're above the law.
We should apply that same strategy to sanctuary cities.
First, defund sanctuary cities. In January 2017, President Trump signed an executive order allowing the federal government to withhold DOJ and DHS grants from sanctuary jurisdictions. In 2018, California lost $200 million in federal funds and quickly began cooperating. President Trump should double down on this strategy: withhold DOJ funding, cut FEMA grants, pull HUD money, slash Community Development Block Grants—anything sanctuary cities rely on. Even if courts block defunding broadly, federal agencies can still condition grants on compliance and reallocate funds to law-abiding cities.
Next, sue sanctuary cities under the Supremacy Clause. Trump's DOJ sued California in 2018 over Senate Bill 54, forcing the state to scale back its sanctuary protections. In July 2025, the administration filed a new Supremacy Clause suit against New York City. Similar lawsuits are underway in Los Angeles, Chicago, and cities across New Jersey and Illinois. These legal actions should go further—seeking injunctions and even criminal referrals for officials who knowingly obstruct federal enforcement.
We deserve leaders who put citizens first, protect the innocent and hold the guilty accountable. And we deserve a country that honors its laws because without them, there is no America.
America First cities are rising. Trump should teach sanctuary cities a lesson by defunding and suing them into compliance. It's the fastest way to protect our citizens and teach a lasting lesson.
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