Lawmakers introduce legislation to cut some funding to sanctuary cities
Senator Pat Toomey, R-Pa., is introducing legislation to cut a large chunk of funding to sanctuary cities. The "Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Bill" would withhold some non-law enforcement federal grants from cities designated as sanctuary cities.
The bill is being reintroduced after failing last session due to a shortage of the 60 votes needed to prevent a filibuster. The bill has 22 other co-sponsors including Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
“We know that because of the porous border that every town is a border town, every city is a border city,” Blackburn said on FOX Business’ "Trish Regan Primetime" Tuesday. “These cities that are a sanctuary city or these states that are a sanctuary state, what they are doing is encouraging those that are in the country illegally, those that are criminal illegal aliens, to come there. It makes our population less safe.”
A sanctuary city is the name given to jurisdictions that limit their cooperation with the federal government's effort to enforce immigration law. As of May 2019, ten states and Washington D.C. have enacted legislation in favor of sanctuary policies.
“This is one thing that we can do to help get a handle on this,” Blackburn said. “To say, ‘look if you are going to do this, then you are not going to get these funds.’”
The Customs and Border Protection Agency is facing a record number of crossings at the U.S. border with Mexico. According to CBP, 100,000 people are moving toward the U.S. through Mexico at any given time, which has led to over 500,000 apprehensions of migrants crossing illegally in fiscal year 2019.
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As of May 2019, 64 percent of apprehensions at the southern birder are family units and unaccompanied children and due to lack of capacity, the CBP states that it needed to release over 40,000 illegal migrants into American cities.