Rahm Emanuel reaffirmed his commitment to protecting immigrants from deportation today, following President Trump’s executive order to cut off federal funding for so-called "sanctuary cities." The executive order takes aim at cities like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago that have said they will not actively arrest or detain immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
On Wednesday, Emanuel and city aldermen used the regular City Council meeting as a forum to speak out against the executive action, which was signed by the president earlier in the day, and decry Trump as a “demagogue.” The City Council also approved a non-binding resolution, which states that Chicago will protect its residents regardless of immigration status, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or criminal record.
Following the meeting, Emanuel said Chicago will continue to welcome people of all backgrounds, despite the president’s order. “We’re going to stay a sanctuary city,” he said. However, the mayor did not indicate how much federal funding the city could potentially lose. According to the Chicago Tribune, the city received just over $1 billion in federal grant funding last year for a variety of programs, ranging from transportation and health to early childhood education and disaster management.
Dubbed “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States,” the executive order states that cities that do not comply with federal immigration officials “are not eligible to receive federal grants, except as deemed necessary for law enforcement purposes by the Attorney General or the Secretary.”
Additionally, Trump signed a second executive order on Wednesday regarding immigration enforcement and border security. It redirects existing U.S. Department of Homeland Security funds for “the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border” with Mexico and calls for the construction of additional immigration detention facilities.
The orders come a day after the tweeter-in-chief warned that he would consider federal intervention in Chicago if the city is not able to combat ongoing violence.
If Chicago doesn't fix the horrible "carnage" going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2017
For his part, Emanuel did not directly address Trump’s apparent threat of imposing martial law in Chicago. Instead, the mayor told NBC Chicago he would welcome federal participation with local law enforcement to deal with violence in the city.
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