Morning Note

Donald Trump on Tuesday announced his plan to eliminate all sanctuary-jurisdiction federal funding, preparing to yank billions in state and city revenue over laws barring law enforcement cooperation with immigration agents. 

“Starting February 1, we’re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states,” the president said during a speech in Detroit. “They do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens… It breeds fraud and crime and all of the other problems that come. So we’re not making any payment,” he added.

17 states maintain statewide sanctuary policies that shield criminal illegal immigrants, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform. They receive fortunes in federal tax dollars each year, which they use to defy our country’s laws. 

Nuance defines most political debates, but not this one. The Constitution clearly says that federal law trumps state and local law, and federal law outlaws illegal immigration. Jurisdictions that ignore the rules shouldn’t receive federal funds. Trump is right.

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