Trump administration targets DMV ‘sanctuary cities,' threatens federal action
WASHINGTON () — The Trump administration is increasing pressure on sanctuary cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, threatening federal action.
A new released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday names hundreds of jurisdictions nationwide accused of obstructing immigration efforts — many of which are in the DMV.
'It is a danger to our democracy when the president is threatening state and local jurisdictions, by reducing their fines or holding those fines because they are simply serving and protecting their constituents,' said Ninfa Amador-Hernandez, policy manager with local immigrant advocacy group CASA.
Trump administration increases pressure on 'sanctuary jurisdictions' with public listing
Sanctuary cities are jurisdictions with policies in place to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, oftentimes not providing local resources for federal immigration enforcement.
Prince George's County, Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County, Charles County, Rockville, Takoma Park, Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Manassas, Prince William County and Washington, D.C. were among the jurisdictions on the list put out by DHS.
The DHS claimed these jurisdictions 'undermine the rule of law and endanger the lives of Americans and Law Enforcement.'
Amador-Hernandez argued that local and state governments are within their rights to set policies that limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
'These states have laws in place that limit their cooperation with ICE because, once again, states and localities should not be doing ICE's job. That is the federal government's job,' she said.
According to DHS, the goal of the list is to improve public safety and urge local governments to review and revise their policies.
Trump administration says it's working to return a Guatemalan man deported to Mexico
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said, 'President Trump and I will always put the safety of the American people first. Sanctuary politicians are on notice: comply with federal law.'
CASA said these measures violate civil liberties and instill fear in immigrant communities.
'We've seen ICE, quote unquote, do its job by violating constitutional rights. More and more immigrant families — and even just families all around, regardless of their status — are concerned,' Amador-Hernandez said.
D.C. is one jurisdiction looking to make changes to its policies — with Mayor Muriel Bowser recently proposing to repeal the city's sanctuary statute.
'We don't think that having it [as] statute is the way to go,' she said.
The City of Alexandria, also named on the list, said the federal government's actions misrepresent the city's stance.
'Action by the federal government wrongly targets and mischaracterizes Alexandria and dismisses core principles that make up the foundation of our democracy. The City of Alexandria is committed to upholding the constitutional and civil rights of all people, regardless of their immigration status,' city leaders said.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich a similar sentiment, writing, in part:
This designation, like many other actions taken by this administration, is about criminalizing immigrants, not protecting public safety. We will not be complicit in efforts to stigmatize or target our immigrant communities. If these policies are carried out, they will not only tear families apart but also damage the economy. Immigrants are an essential part of our workforce and make vital contributions to our community's culture and vibrancy. Businesses here and across the country would not function without them.
Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Executive
Amador-Hernandez emphasized that protecting immigrant communities does not equate to violating federal law.
'By having laws that simply serve and protect immigrants is not a simple or a direct violation of federal law,' she said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The ‘revenge tax' buried deep in the budget bill could turn a trade war into a ‘capital war,' analyst says
Section 899 of the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' moving through Congress has raised growing alarms on Wall Street, after the once-obscure provision was initially overshadowed by the budget proposal's estimated impact on the deficit. Deutsche Bank warned that what's been dubbed the 'revenge tax' could further harm the attractiveness of U.S. assets. As Wall Street continued digesting the myriad line items in the 1,000-page budget bill that passed recently, one part has triggered an especially acute case of heartburn. Section 899 of the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' moving through Congress has raised growing alarms, after the once-obscure provision was initially overshadowed by the budget's estimated impact on the deficit. It has been dubbed the 'revenge tax' because it would increase rates for individuals and companies from countries with tax policies branded as 'discriminatory.' That means foreign investors, who own trillions of dollars in U.S. assets, could face higher levies on passive income like dividends and interest payments. Investors have already shifted toward Europe and China as President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff agenda has eroded the idea 'American exceptionalism.' Meanwhile, foreign investors are showing signs of a buyer's strike, shunning U.S. assets. For George Saravelos, head of FX research at Deutsche Bank, the idea of a revenge tax could make them even less attractive. It's also notable in the wake of a U.S. trade court's ruling Tuesday that invalidated Trump's reciprocal tariffs, as Section 899 could represent an alternative tool. 'We see this legislation as creating the scope for the US administration to transform a trade war into a capital war if it so wishes, a development that is highly relevant in the context of today's court decision constraining President Trump on trade policy,' Saravelos wrote in a note. He pointed out that Section 899 uses taxation on foreign investors as leverage to advance U.S. economic priorities and only has to meet a low bar before it can be enforced. It would also make covering deficits more difficult by lowering the de facto yield foreign government earn from U.S. Treasury bonds by nearly 100 basis points, Saravelos estimated. While the ultimate impact could be less than that, the mere introduction of more uncertainty and complexity around investing in U.S. assets 'undermines the attractiveness of dollar inflows at a time when this is already put in to question,' he warned. 'It is not unreasonable for the market to conclude that if the President is constrained on using trade policy, taxing foreign capital could be a new means of leverage,' he added. Even House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, who supports the revenge tax, said during a panel discussion on Friday that he hopes it's never used and instead acts like more of a deterrent that stops other countries from cracking down on U.S. companies unfairly. Meanwhile, the Joint Committee on Taxation, the nonpartisan tax scorekeeper for Congress, echoed some of Wall Street's fears. Thomas Barthold, the committee's chief of staff, said in a statement to Bloomberg Tax that Section 899 would lead to a 'decline in foreign demand for US direct and portfolio investment.' This story was originally featured on
Wall Street Journal
33 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Fannie and Freddie Changes Would Reshape the Mortgage Market. It Hinges on These Questions.
The Trump administration wants to sell shares in two government-controlled companies that are crucial for getting a mortgage. First it needs to figure out what it wants the mortgage market to look like. A public offering for Fannie Mae FNMA -1.03%decrease; red down pointing triangle and Freddie Mac FMCC 1.40%increase; green up pointing triangle could raise money to help reduce the government deficit. President Trump has twice mentioned selling shares in recent days.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kristi Noem said an immigrant threatened to kill Trump. The story quickly fell apart
A claim by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that an immigrant threatened the life of President Donald Trump has begun to unravel. Noem announced an arrest of a 54-year-old man who was living in the U.S. illegally, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would then return to Mexico. The story received a flood of media attention and was highlighted by the White House and Trump's allies. But investigators actually believe the man may have been framed so that he would get arrested and be deported from the U.S. before he got a chance to testify in a trial as a victim of assault, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Law enforcement officials believe the man, Ramon Morales Reyes, never wrote a letter that Noem and her department shared with a message written in light blue ink expressing anger over Trump's deportations and threatening to shoot him in the head with a rifle at a rally. Noem also shared the letter on X along with a photo of Morales Reyes, and the White House also shared it on its social media accounts. The letter was mailed to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office along with the FBI and other agencies, the person said. As part of the investigation, officials had contacted Morales Reyes and asked for a handwriting sample and concluded his handwriting and the threatening letter didn't match and that the threat was not credible, the person said. It's not clear why Homeland Security officials still decided to send a release making that claim. In an emailed statement asking for information about the letter and the new information about Morales Reyes, the Department of Homeland Security said "the investigation into the threat is ongoing. Over the course of the investigation, this individual was determined to be in the country illegally and that he had a criminal record. He will remain in custody.' His attorneys said he was not facing current charges and they did not have any information about convictions in his record. The revelations were first reported by CNN. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's records show Morales Reyes is being held at a county jail in Juneau, Wisconsin, northwest of Milwaukee. The Milwaukee-based immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera, which is advocating for his release, said he was arrested May 21. Attorney Cain Oulahan, who was hired to fight against his deportation, said he has a hearing in a Chicago immigration court next week and is hoping he is released on bond. Morales Reyes had been a victim in a case of another man who is awaiting trial on assault charges in Wisconsin, the person familiar with the matter said. The trial is scheduled for July. Morales Reyes works as a dishwasher in Milwaukee, where he lives with his wife and three children. He had recently applied for a U visa, which is carved out for people in the country illegally who become victims of serious crimes, said attorney Kime Abduli, who filed that application. The Milwaukee Police Department said it is investigating an identity theft and victim intimidation incident related to this matter and the county district attorney's office said the investigation was ongoing. Milwaukee police said no one has been criminally charged at this time. Abduli, Morales Reyes' attorney, says he could not have written the letter, saying he did not receive formal education and can't write in Spanish and doesn't know how to speak English. She said it was not clear whether he was arrested because of the letters. 'There is really no way that it could be even remotely true,' Abduli said. 'We're asking for a clarification and a correction from DHS to clear Ramon's name of anything having to do with this.' Mike Balsamo, Scott Bauer And Adriana Gomez Licon, The Associated Press
