(NewsNation) — Feb. 1 is the date President Donald Trump has said he would begin halting funding for sanctuary cities, but many unanswered questions remain.
The president has alluded to this several times in recent weeks, including in this Truth Social post announcing that deadline and saying that if states want sanctuary cities, “They will have to pay for them.” He also spoke about it when he was recently in Davos.
“I have directed that starting immediately, there will be no more payments to sanctuary cities because they are really just sanctuaries for criminals. They’re really protecting criminals. And those are the ones we have to get out of the country,” Trump previously said.
The White House tells NewsNation that the Office of Management and Budget is coordinating with federal agencies to implement the president’s plan, and officials are “gathering a complete report of funds being spent in each state that has a history of fraud.”
This is already being challenged in the courts, and judges have been reluctant to let the federal government use funding cuts as a hammer. The president has long been critical of sanctuary cities and is calling on Congress to pass legislation to end them for good.
Trump has not specified which locations will be affected, but the Department of Justice currently lists 18 sanctuary cities on its website, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Seattle, among others.
Experts say the cuts could affect departments such as housing, public health, emergency management and education. The U.S. Community for Refugees and Immigrants said this decision to cut funding would undermine public safety in America’s communities.
