On Wednesday, President-Elect Donald Trump released the agenda for his first 100 days in office and among his top priorities is an item that could significantly affect a number of cities in California. Trump is doubling down on a campaign promise to cut off federal funding for so-called “sanctuary cities,” a loose term to describe localities which in one way or another limit their cooperation with federal authorities on immigration matters.
The agenda has caught the attention of one of California’s most notorious sanctuary cities, San Francisco, which Trump has blamed for the 2015 killing of 32-year-old Kate Steinle. She was killed last year by a Mexican national who was in the country illegally, despite a long criminal history and previous deportations. ICE officials had been seeking an immigration hold on the individual, but San Francisco did not comply.
“He’s going to use the power of the presidency and the power of money to punish us,” said San Francisco Supervisor David Campos. Mayor Ed Lee remained defiant, vowing not to “change who we are” in the face of Donald Trump’s victory.
Right now, San Francisco gets around $478 million a year from the federal government, along with $915 million annually from the state, much of it from federal dollars. Other cities that could potentially get cut off include Los Angeles, Oakland and Berkeley. In fact, on Monday, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck opened his own potential spat with the President Elect, saying his department would not change its immigration policies and would not assist with any mass deportation plans.