Two states and the largest cities within them had nearly opposite reactions after President Trump reiterated his plans to withhold all federal funds from areas in the country that have policies limiting local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Illinois went on offense, while California opted to tread lightly.
Trump, who has repeatedly promised to conduct the largest mass deportation of illegal immigrants in U.S. history, on Thursday pledged to put an end to these states’ and localities’ “sanctuary policies.”
“No more Sanctuary Cities! They protect the Criminals, not the Victims. They are disgracing our Country, and are being mocked all over the World,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“Working on papers to withhold all Federal Funding for any City or State that allows these Death Traps to exist!!!” he added.
That same day, the GOP-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee called on Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to testify on Capitol Hill about the state’s sanctuary policies, along with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“Harboring aliens is a federal crime. Sanctuary policies championed by these governors jeopardize the safety of Americans and defy U.S. immigration laws,” Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican who chairs the panel, said in an X.com post.
Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson immediately pushed back. In 2021, Pritzker signed a bill into law that expanded the state’s existing sanctuary law, known as the TRUST Act.
“Let’s call this what this is: another partisan dog and pony show,” a Pritzker spokesman said. “Illinois’ Trust Act – which was signed into law by a Republican – is fully compliant with federal law and ensures law enforcement can focus on doing their actual jobs while empowering all members of the public – regardless of immigration status – to feel comfortable calling law enforcement to seek help, report crimes, and cooperate in investigations.”
The spokesman said the governor is evaluating whether he should take the time to “educate the House GOP on these matters.”
A spokesman for Johnson pledged that the mayor’s administration would “vigorously defend Chicagoans from any unconstitutional or unlawful attempts to strip residents of the funding they are entitled to.”
The city is set to receive $3.5 billion in federal grants this year, as well as $1.97 billion to subsidize the CTA’s Red Line Extension Project bus and subway project.
“The Department of Law will continue to assess any correspondence from the Trump administration that may impact Chicagoans in any way,” the spokesman added.
Trump has leveraged federal dollars for universities and law firms to produce policy changes, but it’s unclear whether he’ll prevail over state and local governments on immigration policy. A similar attempt to use an executive order to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities was blocked in court during Trump’s first term.
While city and state attorneys general across the country ready their legal challenges, Trump’s Justice Department has already asked a federal judge to strike down sanctuary policies in Chicago.
More than 1,700 miles away, California leaders reacted to Trump’s latest shot across the bow with silence. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who is facing a recall over her mishandling of the most deadly and destructive wildfires in the city’s history, on Thursday remained focused on wildfire rebuilding. She spent the day announcing a new partnership to rebuild a Palisades Recreation Center alongside Lakers Coach JJ Redick and her onetime political foe, Rick Caruso.
As Bass struggles to maintain her hold on power, the city is also facing budget woes. The deadly wildfires that ripped through Los Angeles erupted as city officials were struggling to close a $600 million budget gap. This month, the deficit was updated to nearly $1 billion.
Bass’ silence was particularly notable after her vocal support for sanctuary policies following Trump’s victory last fall. In November, Bass pushed for a City Council vote that formally designated Los Angeles as a sanctuary city even though the state already had the sanctuary protections in place for illegal immigrants charged with crimes.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also remained mum on the topic Thursday. His office didn’t respond to RealClearPolitics’ request for comment on Trump’s threat to withhold federal funds, and his California governor X.com account reminded LA residents about an April 15 deadline for a free debris removal program and touted a “Cutting Green-Tape program” aimed at expediting environmental restoration programs.
A spokesperson for California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the office is “monitoring this issue closely, and we won’t hesitate to respond if the Trump administration attempts to delay or unlawfully condition funding to our states or cities.”
The timing of Trump’s latest attack on sanctuary city and state policies comes at a particularly awkward time for California’s top politicians. Police last week found the body of 13-year-old Oscar “Omar” Hernandez, who went missing last month, on the side of the road in Oxnard, California. The suspect, Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was already under investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for allegedly sexually assaulting at least two other teen boys.
In 2022, the Los Angeles Police Department investigated Garcia-Aquino for suspected sexual assault of a minor, but he was never charged because the alleged victim declined to testify against him. Both of Garcia-Aquino’s victims were connected to his soccer coaching, law enforcement authorities have said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a statement on X describing Garcia-Aquino as a “depraved illegal alien who should never have been in this country.”
“Under President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, child predators, pedophiles, and murderers will be hunted down and removed from America’s communities,” the statement said.
Bass and Newsom are particularly reliant on federal aid in the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires, which has attracted national scrutiny to their management records. Earlier this year, the Trump administration vowed to place “strings” on the wildfire recovery assistance provided to California. Trump special envoy Richard Grenell, who is weighing a run for California governor, cited the state’s politics related to water and forestry. Trump previously had said assistance could depend on the state’s water, forestry, immigration, and voter ID policies.
Yet, in late March, Newsom touted continued federal support for disaster survivors and small businesses. He announced that aid from the U.S. Small Business Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency had exceeded $2 billion.
“This federal disaster aid brings much-needed relief for impacted homeowners, renters, and businesses grappling with loss and damage,” Newsom said in a press release. “California is grateful to President Trump and our federal partners for making this recovery a priority.”
In February, Newsom asked Congress for nearly $40 billion in aid to help the Los Angeles area recover. Newsom and local officials are still waiting to see how Congress will respond and whether the aid will come with conditions.
Newsom’s office told Spectrum News this week that a bipartisan, multi-state disaster supplemental aid bill is expected to be introduced in Congress later this spring or early summer to support impacted homeowners and renters, businesses, health and human services, and wildfire and watershed resilience.
The White House declined to say exactly what federal funds Trump was referring to in his social media post and whether he would try to withhold California wildfire rebuilding dollars in response to the state’s sanctuary laws.
Meanwhile, Trump installed California Assemblyman Bill Essayli earlier this month as the new U.S. attorney for the Central District of California. The office is the largest U.S. attorney’s office outside the nation’s capital, with 250 attorneys at his disposal covering a wide swath of Southern and Central California.
Within days of assuming the post, Essayli, 39, launched an investigation into fraud and corruption in Los Angeles’ homeless programs after an audit found $2 billion unaccounted for in the county. He also pledged that one of his top priorities will be “prosecuting violent criminal illegal immigrants and those that aid and support them.”
“The days of sanctuary protections for criminals are over in California,” he pledged.
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