Sanctuary Cities

A federal appeals court in Chicago says the Trump administration policy of threatening to withhold grant money from so-called sanctuary cities to force them to comply with its more stringent immigration policies violates separation-of-powers provisions.

Federal agents who normally patrol the U.S. border will be deployed to “sanctuary” cities across the country that are hindering stepped up immigration enforcement, officials said Friday.

Top administration officials have been discussing ways to increase pressure on countries with high numbers of citizens who overstay short-term visas, as part of President Donald Trump’s growing focus on immigration heading into his re-election campaign. The administration could introduce new travel restrictions on nationals from those countries, according to two people familiar with the plans who spoke on condition...

The Justice Department escalated its promised crackdown on so-called sanctuary cities Tuesday, saying it will no longer award coveted grant money to cities unless they give federal immigration authorities access to jails and provide advance notice when someone in the country illegally is about to be released. Under old rules, cities seeking grant money needed only to show they were...

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) and Department of Homeland Security John Kelly were involved in a tense exchange Tuesday when Harris questioned Kelly about sanctuary cities.

Seattle filed a lawsuit Wednesday over President Donald Trump’s executive order that threatens to withhold federal funds from communities that refuse to cooperate with efforts to find and deport immigrants in the country illegally. Mayor Ed Murray said the order issued in January punishing “sanctuary cities” is unconstitutional and creates uncertainty around the city’s budget. Other governments have sued Trump...

Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a warning to sanctuary cities in a Monday White House briefing, threatening to pull federal funding for states and cities that do not follow federal code on illegal immigration.