The progressives have had their way for far too long when it comes to illegal immigration. Republicans have tolerated their insistence on harboring illegal aliens and criminals, and the time has finally arrived to stop this violation of the law and provide safety and security for our citizens. Both the Executive Branch and Congress are stepping up to honor the rule of law.
On January 22, several Republican Senators promoted a new bill on the issue:
Today, Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Katie Britt (R-AL), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), James Lankford (R-OK), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act.
The bill would allow the victims of murders, rapes, and other felonies committed by illegal aliens to sue sanctuary states or cities that failed to honor a detainer request. The legislation also bans certain federal grants to sanctuary jurisdictions. Senator Budd twice led this legislation in the U.S. House in 2019 and 2021.
Both senators Tillis and Budd made powerful statements in support of this bill. Here is Senator Tillis’s statement, in part:
‘I am committed to working with President Trump to end illegal immigration and fight sanctuary cities that prioritize reckless, lawless policies over public safety. It is clear that liberal politicians want to put political ideology ahead of the safety of their constituents. It is time for Congress to step in and hold sanctuary cities accountable.’
The House proposed a similar bill to stop these violations of federal law, initiated by Rep. Chris Langworthy:
Today, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) introduced the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025 to block federal funding for sanctuary jurisdictions that prohibit or restrict local law enforcement from sharing immigration status information or cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Sanctuary cities are actively undermining federal immigration enforcement by refusing to cooperate with ICE detainer requests and releasing dangerous criminals back onto our streets. It’s time to hold them accountable.
Additionally, this legislation clarifies legal authority for local and state law enforcement to honor federal immigration detainer requests by deeming officers who comply to be acting as federal agents. It protects law enforcement by shielding officers and jurisdictions from liability when they cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The bill also encourages compliance with federal immigration law by targeting jurisdictions that defy lawful detainer requests and shield illegal immigrants from removal.
Cities and states are also willing to pay dearly for the cost of allowing illegal aliens in their locations. The cost of feeding and boarding them can be enormous; educating their children, many who don’t speak English, is significant. They are also putting ICE officers in danger by alerting protestors that the officers will be working in their areas.
States and local governments have already demonstrated that they are more concerned with protecting illegal aliens than protecting their cities. But the federal government is no longer sitting back and allowing this violation of the law:
Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a comprehensive list of sanctuary jurisdictions including cities, counties, and states that are deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws and endangering American citizens. Sanctuary cities protect dangerous criminal illegal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in grave danger. [snip] The order directs the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and the Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify and publicly highlight jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
[snip]
Each jurisdiction listed will receive formal notification of its non-compliance and all potential violations of federal criminal statutes. DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.
Some cities are pushing back on this effort to identify them:
Baltimore’s Mayor Brandon Scott said on X that Baltimore is ‘not a sanctuary city,’ noting that Baltimore does not control the city’s jails. Jails are a key area where ICE cooperates with local law enforcement authorities so it can be notified when immigrants are going to be released.
But Scott also said the city made no apologies for being a ‘welcoming city’ and said it was preparing for litigation if needed to protect the city’s immigrant community and the money it gets from the federal government.
‘We are better because of our immigrant neighbors, and are not about to sell them out to this administration,’ Scott said.
Mayor Scott is manipulating the meaning of the law to his own benefit to protect the illegal aliens, and hopefully he won’t be successful.
On the other hand, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been clear about supporting the rule of law and taking action against illegal aliens:
Glenn Youngkin, Governor of Virginia, unveiled a budget proposal that would mandate that local law enforcement fully comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)) detainers and notify officials 48 hours before releasing an undocumented immigrant who has committed a crime.
The ‘No Sanctuary Cities’ initiative would legally mandate full compliance with ICE and proposes withholding funding from counties that purport to be ‘sanctuary’ cities or enact practices impeding cooperation with ICE.
[snip]
Youngkin also threatened to cut state funding if counties obstruct ICE efforts or adopt ‘sanctuary city’ policies could face state funding cuts.
‘Virginia is not a sanctuary state, and we must be clear that we will not allow localities to become 'sanctuary cities.' If local governments turn their backs on their citizens in order to pander to pro-illegal immigrant groups, we will cut off their funding.’
Finally, we have the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch cooperating and united in an effort to protect our borders, our national security, our citizens, and the rule of law!
Image: Public domain.