WASHINGTON – The Trump administration today signed two new executive orders that would target sanctuary cities and direct law enforcement to pursue legal action against state or local officials accused of “obstructing criminal or immigration law enforcement.” The executive order targeting sanctuary cities directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security to prosecute state or local officials who refuse to assist with the Trump administration’s plan to deport immigrants who contribute to the economy and communities nationwide. It also penalizes states that provide in-state tuition to noncitizens. The order echoes previous guidance issued by the DOJ that suggested state and local officials would face federal prosecution for limiting the amount of assistance they provide to federal agencies carrying out immigration enforcement.
The second executive order directs law enforcement to pursue legal action against state officials, seeks to prevent accountability for law enforcement misconduct, and encourages police brutality.
In response to this news, Naureen Shah, director of government affairs for the ACLU’s Equality Division, had the following reaction:
“These executive orders are just the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s shakedown of cities, states, and elected officials that refuse to offer up local resources for the administration’s mass deportation and detention agenda. States and cities have the right to decide how best to use local resources, and they overwhelmingly agree that taxpayer dollars are better spent investing in programs that improve public safety and support our communities – not policies that tear them apart by deporting our immigrant neighbors and loved ones. Similarly, President Trump does not control the more 17,000 local law enforcement agencies across this country. That authority remains, appropriately, with the people in cities and towns nationwide, who must continue pushing for reforms that protect rights and improve public safety.”
“These orders have no legal basis and are another example of President Trump’s relentless campaign to attack the integrity of our legal system and separation of powers by targeting judges, lawyers, and other officials who refuse to comply with his extreme agenda."
David McGuire, executive director of ACLU of Connecticut, had the following reaction:
“This is the federal government’s latest attempt to attack states, and especially to target states like Connecticut — with our welcoming policies that offer quality of life to all people and respect to our 591,000 immigrants. Now is the time for Connecticut’s elected officials to rebut these attacks from the Trump administration and publicly refuse to comply with these draconian orders. The ACLU of Connecticut is already pushing back in the courts, including bringing a class action lawsuit on behalf of Connecticut’s international students. And we will continue. Our public policy and advocacy team will keep working with policymakers to strengthen our state’s protections, including the Trust Act. We will continue to provide leadership, and trusted information and analysis to government officials, policymakers, and communities.”