With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
The White House threatens sanctuary cities in another EO, but courts are skeptical
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, right, described the policy as "simple" at a briefing Monday, at which border czar Tom Homan was also in attendance.
(
Andrew Thomas
/
AFP via Getty
)
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday aimed at identifying sanctuary cities, part of a broader effort to target jurisdictions that limit their cooperation with immigration authorities.
The executive order directs the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to identify jurisdictions where local enforcement has declined to cooperate with the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
"It's quite simple," said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a press briefing on Monday morning. "Obey the law, respect the law, and don't obstruct federal immigration officials and law enforcement officials when they are simply trying to remove public safety threats from our nation's communities."
The executive order could set the stage for more federal lawsuits against cities, states and counties that don't fully cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Those sanctuary jurisdictions argue that collaborating with ICE would drain their resources, and undermine trust between police and immigrant communities.
Sponsored message
"We stand together in solidarity with our immigrant families," wrote Keith Wilson, the mayor of Portland, Oregon, in a letter to the city council earlier this year, promising the city would try to "keep undocumented families safe by slowing or stopping cooperation with overreaching federal immigration enforcement."
-
Epstein looms large for many conspiracy theorists, including QAnon believers. -
The judge has previously sided with UC scholars several times since June in halting Trump’s termination of science and health research funding. -
The overhaul shifts funds to transitional housing requiring work and addiction treatment. The administration says it promotes "self-sufficiency," but critics warn many will risk losing housing again.
The Trump administration has also tried to withhold funding from sanctuary cities and states. During Trump's first term, the Justice Department tried to withhold funding from several jurisdictions — but they fought back, and were often able to defeat those efforts in court .
Last week, a federal judge blocked the administration's latest effort to withhold funding from 16 jurisdictions, including San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, St. Paul and New Haven.
"Here we are again," wrote U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco, who found that the Trump administration's actions were likely unconstitutional and granted a preliminary injunction.
"The threat to withhold funding causes them irreparable injury in the form of budgetary uncertainty, deprivation of constitutional rights, and undermining trust between the Cities and Counties and the communities they serve," Orrick wrote.
Copyright 2025 NPR
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
