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“It will direct the Attorney General, Pam Bondi to provide a list of sanctuary cities back to the administration,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced during a media briefing Wednesday. “If those sanctuary cities are breaking federal law, well, then the Office of Management and Budget is going to look at their federal spending.”
She added, “again, if you’re defying federal law, you are threatening your own federal spending by doing that.”
Portland Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney told KOIN 6 News the move is the Trump Administration’s latest attempt at an overreach of power.
“We’re still unpacking exactly what’s in that executive order,” She said. “But this appears to me to be just another attempt to try to bully Portland, Oregon, and other cities and states around the country into enforcing federal immigration laws when our law enforcement needs to be focused on local issues.”
According to the White House, within 30 days of the executive order the Attorney General will publish a list of sanctuary jurisdictions that “obstruct Federal immigration laws” and notify each one of potential defiance.
The order calls to prevent federal benefits for any undocumented residents living in sanctuary jurisdictions.
It tasks the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to, “identify appropriate Federal funds to sanctuary jurisdictions, including grants and contracts, for suspension or termination, as appropriate,” for any sanctuary cities identified on the list.
The Department of Homeland Security “shall pursue all necessary legal remedies and enforcement measures to end these violations and bring such jurisdictions into compliance with the laws of the United States.”
The news comes as the City of Portland and several others are suing the Trump Administration for similar executive orders, and one week after a federal judge barred the president from denying federal dollars to cities offering immigration protections.
“The Trump administration tried to do this previously by threatening to withhold funds. We received just last week a preliminary injunction stopping that executive order,” Pirtle-Guiney said.
Due to their sanctuary status, cities like Portland limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation.
Portland has been a sanctuary city since a resolution was passed by the City Council in 2017. This affirmed that no City funds, staff or equipment can be used to assist with immigration enforcement.
“We are in the middle of budget cuts. We have a law enforcement agency that’s stretched thin and work that is demanding public safety in our community,” Pirtle-Guiney said. “We can agree or disagree about whether folks in our community are posing a threat to public safety in the way that the federal administration thinks they are, but I think we all agree that people who are sworn to do their jobs need to do the job in the job description. And for our local police that’s enforcing our local laws.”
In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson wrote:
“Portland stands unwavering in its commitment to sanctuary policies, rooted in the belief that every resident, including immigrants, deserves dignity, respect, and protection. Recent court rulings affirm that public safety funds, disaster relief, housing, and transportation should never be subject to unconstitutional federal overreach or interference.
“The city of Portland fully complies with all applicable federal and state laws and will not obstruct lawful federal enforcement operations. Importantly, our police officers will not be used as agents of ICE. We will continue to uphold the values of inclusion and justice that define our community, and we will firmly oppose any unlawful efforts to deny access to essential services or funding.”
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