President Donald Trump delivered a political earthquake Tuesday during remarks at the Detroit Economic Club, announcing that his administration will cut off **all federal funding to sanctuary cities and states beginning February 1**, drawing a hard line against jurisdictions that openly defy federal immigration law.
In classic Trump fashion, the president didn’t mince words. Sanctuary cities, he said, have had years of taxpayer support while actively undermining law enforcement, shielding illegal aliens, and fostering crime and fraud. That era, Trump made clear, is over.
“Starting February 1, we’re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities,” the president declared to thunderous applause. The message was unmistakable: if local governments choose to protect illegal immigrants over American citizens, they will no longer receive a dime of federal money.
Trump pointed directly to cities and states that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), accusing them of sabotaging federal efforts to control the border and dismantle criminal networks tied to illegal immigration. According to the president, these so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions don’t merely ignore the law—they actively obstruct it.
“They do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens,” Trump said. “And it breeds fraud and crime and all the other problems that come. So we’re not making any payment to anybody that supports sanctuary.”
The announcement represents one of the most aggressive federal crackdowns yet on sanctuary policies, which critics have long argued function as taxpayer-subsidized safe havens for illegal alien criminals. Many of these cities rely heavily on federal funds to stay afloat—making Trump’s move both financially and politically devastating for left-wing local governments.
The president also singled out Minnesota, using it as a cautionary tale of what happens when progressive leadership runs amok. Trump confirmed that his administration has already begun suspending payments tied to suspected fraud in the state, which has been rocked by massive welfare and Medicaid scams in recent years.
“We have also suspended payments tied to suspected scammers in Minnesota, of which there are many,” Trump said. “It’s a great state. It was a great state. Now it’s getting destroyed by that stupid governor.”
That jab at Democratic Gov. Tim Walz drew laughter and applause, but it underscored a serious point: sanctuary policies, combined with lax oversight, have turned some states into magnets for large-scale fraud and abuse—costing taxpayers billions.
Trump later reinforced his position on Truth Social, issuing a blunt, all-caps warning that left no room for misinterpretation.
“EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY FIRST, NO MORE PAYMENTS WILL BE MADE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO STATES FOR THEIR CORRUPT CRIMINAL PROTECTION CENTERS KNOWN AS SANCTUARY CITIES,” Trump wrote. “ALL THEY DO IS BREED CRIME AND VIOLENCE! If States want them, they will have to pay for them!”
The announcement marks a decisive escalation in Trump’s law-and-order agenda and fulfills a promise he made repeatedly on the campaign trail: end federal subsidies for jurisdictions that defy immigration law.
For sanctuary cities accustomed to federal bailouts while thumbing their noses at Washington, the message is clear—comply with the law, or pay the price.
