Based on actions and executive orders issued in 2025, Donald Trump's administration is actively attempting to defund sanctuary states and cities. However, federal courts have issued injunctions blocking the administration's efforts to withhold certain federal funding.
Executive actions and federal
pressure
- April 28, 2025: Executive Order
14287 President Trump signed an executive order targeting
"sanctuary jurisdictions" for obstructing federal immigration
laws. The order directs the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland
Security (DHS) to identify non-compliant jurisdictions and pursue legal
action and funding cuts against them.
- May 29, 2025: DHS list Following the
executive order, the DHS published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions that
"defy federal immigration law" and threatened consequences.
- August 5, 2025: DOJ list The DOJ also
published its own list of sanctuary jurisdictions, which includes several
states like California, New York, and Washington, and warned of potential
legal consequences and federal funding loss.
- August–September 2025: DOJ
pressure Attorney General Pam Bondi sent letters to listed
jurisdictions, stating the administration would "come after"
those that didn't cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The DOJ
also sued Minnesota over its sanctuary policies.
- September 26, 2025: MOU with Nevada Following the threats, Nevada entered a Memorandum of Understanding with the DOJ to fully collaborate on immigration enforcement, leading to its removal from the DOJ's list of sanctuary jurisdictions.
Legal challenges and setbacks
- April 24, 2025: Injunction granted A
federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump
administration from cutting off federal funds to 16 sanctuary cities and
counties.
- August 23, 2025: Further injunctions Another federal judge expanded the injunction, halting the administration's efforts to withhold Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants from 34 cities and counties.
Outlook
Despite the administration's
stated intent and executive actions, the courts have so far prevented the broad
defunding of sanctuary states and cities in 2025. The administration continues
to pursue legal remedies and other enforcement measures, but the lawsuits
challenging its authority to withhold funding are still ongoing.
Legal experts and local leaders have noted the administration's intensified efforts in 2025 have yielded limited results on funding cuts due to these legal challenges.
Following a campaign promise,
President Donald Trump has issued executive orders in 2025 to attempt to defund
"sanctuary" jurisdictions, but federal judges have blocked these
efforts. Courts have previously ruled that the president cannot unilaterally
withhold congressionally approved funding to advance policy goals, creating a
legal battle over the administration's actions.
The Trump administration has
taken the following actions in 2025:
- Executive orders: In January and
April 2025, Trump signed executive orders stating his administration would
withhold federal money from jurisdictions with sanctuary policies. The
orders task the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security with
publishing a list of non-compliant places and providing an opportunity for
correction before potentially withholding funds.
- Targeting sanctuary jurisdictions: In
August 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent letters to sanctuary states,
cities, and counties warning them to comply with federal immigration
policies. In response to an executive order, the Department of Justice
published a list of jurisdictions identified as sanctuary cities in August
2025.
- Legal challenges and injunctions: Legal challenges from states and cities, as well as judicial pushback, have stalled these defunding efforts. In April and August 2025, federal judges issued temporary injunctions to block the administration from withholding grant funding over sanctuary policies.
The legal precedent
Legal challenges during Trump's first term successfully stopped him from withholding federal money from sanctuary jurisdictions. In 2018, a federal appeals court ruled that the president could not place new conditions on how states and localities use federal grants. This established a precedent that has factored into the judicial blocks on his current attempts to defund sanctuary states and cities.
https://www.google.com/search?q=will+trump+defund+states+with+sanctuary+status+in+2025
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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