Trump announces plan to end federal payments to states with sanctuary cities
By lauraharris // 2026-01-15
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  • President Donald Trump announced that beginning Feb. 1, the federal government will end payments to states that maintain sanctuary cities, accusing them of protecting criminals and fueling crime.
  • Sanctuary cities generally limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, a practice Trump has repeatedly criticized as undermining public safety.
  • Trump has not specified which federal funds will be cut, saying only that the reductions will be "significant."
  • The sanctuary city funding threat is part of a broader administration effort to pressure states over alleged fraud and noncompliance, with multiple agencies warning or moving to halt funds.
  • Minnesota has been a key target, facing threatened or proposed funding freezes from several agencies, including a plan to withhold $515 million quarterly from certain Medicaid programs, actions the state is appealing.
President Donald Trump has announced that his administration will end federal payments to states that maintain so-called sanctuary cities. Sanctuary cities, as BrightU.AI's Enoch noted, are municipalities that have policies in place to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, particularly in the enforcement of immigration laws. These cities often refuse to detain undocumented immigrants or share information with federal agencies to create a safe and welcoming environment for all residents, regardless of their immigration status. However, Trump announced on Tuesday, Jan. 13, that he will end federal payments to states with sanctuary cities. "Starting Feb. 1, we're not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities, because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens and it breeds fraud and crime and all of the other problems that come," Trump said at the Detroit Economic Club, where he accused sanctuary jurisdictions of prioritizing the protection of criminals over public safety. "So we're not making any payment to anybody that supports sanctuary cities." The president reiterated the policy in a post on his Truth Social platform the next day, declaring that "effective Feb. 1st, no more payments will be made by the federal government to states for their corrupt criminal protection centers known as sanctuary cities." Trump claimed such jurisdictions "breed crime and violence" and said states choosing to maintain them would have to pay for them on their own. Back in Washington, the president declined to specify which federal funds would be affected. When asked by reporters what type of funding would be cut off on Feb. 1, Trump replied, "You'll see. It'll be significant."

Trump threatening to defund states that commit fraud and refuse to cooperate

Ending federal payments to states with sanctuary cities is not an isolated case. In recent weeks, several federal agencies have moved to halt or threaten funding across a range of programs, often citing concerns about fraud or compliance. For instance, the Department of Agriculture has warned states that refuse to provide data on recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that they could lose administrative funding. That warning came as a legal battle was already underway over the federal government's request for the information. So far, the department has not actually stopped any money, but the threat has added pressure amid the ongoing court fight. Earlier in January, the Department of Health and Human Services said it was halting funds to five Democratic-led states for daycare subsidies and other assistance for low-income families with children. The agency cited unspecified suspicions of fraud. A court quickly intervened, putting the funding freeze on hold while the dispute proceeds. Minnesota has emerged as a particular focus of the administration's financial pressure. In addition to a stepped-up immigration crackdown that has brought an increased federal law enforcement presence to the state, the Agriculture Department has said it is freezing funding there, though it has offered few details about the scope or rationale for the move. Separately, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notified Minnesota last week that it intends to withhold $515 million every three months from 14 Medicaid programs deemed "high risk." The agency said the programs failed to adopt a corrective action plan demanded in response to fraud allegations. The amount represents roughly one-quarter of the federal funding for those programs. Watch JD Rucker discussing how Trump is seeking an executive order to end sanctuary cities in this clip.
This video is from the JD Rucker channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: InfoWars.com APNews.com TruthSocial.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com
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