Trump threatens to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities and states starting February 1

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that starting February 1 he will deny federal funding to any states that are home to local governments resisting his administration's immigration policies, expanding previous threats to cut off resources to sanctuary cities themselves.

Trump made the announcement during remarks at the Detroit Economic Club, stating that the administration will halt payments to sanctuary jurisdictions in response to laws that bar cooperation with immigration agents.

"Starting February 1, we're not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens," Trump said. "It breeds fraud and crime and all of the other problems that come. So we're not making any payment to anybody that supports sanctuary cities."

The president did not provide specific details about the scope or mechanics of the funding cuts, though officials indicated the action could potentially affect billions in federal revenue.

Trump characterized sanctuary policies as protecting criminals and said the administration views such jurisdictions as breeding grounds for fraud and crime. He referenced ongoing investigations into fraud in Minnesota, which he claimed involved many Somali Americans, and cited what he described as "fake" riots against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the state.

Two previous efforts by Trump to cut off funding for sanctuary jurisdictions were blocked by courts.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded to the announcement in a social media post, stating that the city's values and laws are not negotiable. "We will always defend New Yorkers," Mamdani said, vowing to defend the city against the threatened funding cuts.