Politics

Trump Admin Prepares To Withhold Federal Funds From ‘Sanctuary’ Cities

Published

4 days ago

March 29, 2025

Billions of dollars in federal grants designed to assist communities with disaster and terrorism prevention could be withdrawn from localities with “sanctuary” policies, which defy federal immigration law by refusing to allow local law enforcement to assist with immigration enforcement.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem signed a document determining that Federal Emergency Management Agency programs that go to “sanctuary jurisdictions” would be subject to a review and potential “termination,” according to a report from The Hill.

The document was among a number of memos penned by FEMA acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton on March 20. All of them were approved by Secretary Noem.

The administration has made clear that they will not be revoking grants for communities at elevated risk just because of sanctuary jurisdictions. Instead, a decision will be made based on the grant’s purpose, benefits and risks and “the context of which organization is receiving the award,” the memo reads.

According to the report, the memo lists a number of grants that are at risk of immediate termination. This includes a $1.9 billion program to help high-risk urban areas prevent and prepare for terrorist attacks, a $760 million program that helps states and tribes prevent terrorism, and a $480 million program that helps states and tribes with emergency preparedness.

The document signed by Noem has flagged those grants as “red,” The Hill reported. A number of additional grants have been given a “yellow” designation, meaning they could soon be scheduled for revocation after further review.

“Yellow” programs include services for major disaster survivors, funds to repair buildings damaged by a major disaster and security programs for nonprofit organizations. While a review of the programs is ongoing, approval of payments will be subject to a weekly review by the Department of Homeland Security.

FEMA has frozen nearly $10 billion in disaster aid for nonprofits, including hospitals, as it seeks to identify funding that could be used to help illegal immigrants, according to agency documents obtained by E&E News. The withheld funding had been approved for nongovernmental organizations to rebuild their own facilities after a natural disaster, as well as providing short-term services to disaster survivors.

The moves come as FEMA has been under intense scrutiny after documented instances of politically-motivated denial of services under the Biden Administration. One former FEMA director testified that she was directed to avoid homes that displayed Trump lawn signs in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. She later relayed this information in a slideshow and provided it to employees.

Residents in western North Carolina had also been booted from their temporary shelters, which they have been forced to live in for months after Hurricane Helene devastated large portions of the American South this past fall.

DHS has pointed to the political discrimination, advocacy for illegals over American citizens and failure to properly accommodate disaster survivors as additional justification for withholding funds.