GOP Lawmaker’s Move To Defund Sanctuary Cities

(USNewsMag.com) – Republican Texas Rep. August Pfluger is introducing the “No Funding for Sanctuary Cities Act,” which would defund sanctuary cities.

A member of the House Homeland Security Committee, Pfluger, stated the bill would prevent federal funds from helping “hypocritical” liberal mayors and governors who are seeking to use taxpayer funds to solve the migrant crisis affecting their sanctuary cities.

The proposed legislation would amend federal law so that federal law enforcement grants, or grants administered by the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security, would be unavailable for cities that block federal immigration enforcement. Under the bill, the Department of Homeland Security secretary must issue a report to Congress on the number of cities not in compliance with federal immigration enforcement. Funds withdrawn from sanctuary cities would be able to be diverted to cities that comply with federal laws, as sanctuary cities often block Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from deporting illegal immigrants in custody.

In a statement, Pfluger called it “the height of hypocrisy” that the mayors and governors of sanctuary cities “are now begging the federal government for money.”

The proposed legislation comes as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson continue to request help from the federal government as the migrant crisis is affecting their state and city. Chicago is using airports to shelter the migrants, as the city is out of space to house them. Adams said the migrant crisis could potentially “destroy” the city. The calls for help from sanctuary cities come as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican-led states have been busing migrants to sanctuary cities as a way to alleviate the crisis at the border.

Lawmakers are currently in negotiations over a border security package that includes funding for Ukraine and Israel. The House is seeking tougher restrictions at the border as the number of migrant encounters reached a record high of 302,000 in December.