UPDATED 11/2/24: Former President Donald Trump has vowed to take swift and decisive action to end sanctuary cities across the United States, promising to use an executive order to achieve this goal should he win the 2024 presidential election. His comments came during a town hall meeting in Cumming, Georgia, where he was speaking to an all-women audience hosted by Harris Faulkner of Fox News.
“We are going to end all sanctuary cities immediately. We’re gonna end it,” Trump declared, responding to a question from a concerned mother named Nancy. Nancy, whose child attends the University of Georgia, asked how quickly Trump could remove the threat of sanctuary cities after her daughter’s classmate, Laken Riley, was tragically murdered by an illegal immigrant.
Nancy expressed her concern about safety, particularly in sanctuary cities like Athens, Georgia, where she believes noncitizen criminals are protected. She asked Trump, “How quickly can you remove those threats to our society so our children can go out on a run as they rightfully should be able to do in a park in the daytime by themselves?”
Trump’s response was clear and direct. “We’re going to end all sanctuary cities,” he said. Faulkner, seeking clarification, asked whether he would achieve this through an executive order.
“I can do it with an executive order. I’ll have to do it with an executive order,” Trump confirmed. He explained that the legal foundation for such action could be found in the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, which, he suggested, would provide a historical basis for removing noncitizens from sanctuary cities. “We can do things in terms of moving people out. We can move them out of the sanctuary cities,” he added.
In typical fashion, Trump didn’t shy away from criticizing his opponents, specifically targeting the “liberal crazy people” who support sanctuary cities. He questioned their motivations, saying, “Normally you like to understand the opponent. Like in business, you want to understand what is the opposite. Why do they want this? Why do they want open borders? Why do they want to do this? Why do they want sanctuary cities?”
He asserted that sanctuary cities, which were originally intended as places of refuge, have become centers that protect criminals. “Sanctuary cities are really meant for one thing. To protect criminals. That’s what they’ve become,” Trump said emphatically. He promised a return to “normalcy” and pledged to restore “law and order” in the country, which he claims has been lost under the current Democratic leadership.
Trump’s remarks weren’t just limited to immigration and sanctuary cities. He also took the opportunity to voice his strong support for law enforcement, a group he believes has been unfairly targeted by political correctness. “We have to reinvigorate our police,” Trump stated. “We have great police. They’re not allowed to do their job. If they do their job with gusto, which is what we want… we want them to be fair.”
Trump acknowledged that while there will always be a “bad apple” in any profession, the overwhelming majority of police officers are dedicated public servants. “Hundreds and hundreds of arrests, one bad arrest, and it’s on the front page of every newspaper,” he lamented. “These people are incredible. They want to do their job just like the Border Patrol.”
One of the key aspects of his plan, Trump said, would be to offer immunity to law enforcement officers, protecting them from lawsuits that, according to him, threaten their livelihoods and their ability to do their jobs effectively. “We’re gonna give them immunity,” Trump promised. “We’re gonna protect them because they do things and they end up getting sued. They lose their family, they lose their house, they lose their pension, they lose everything.”
Trump’s pledge to support law enforcement extended beyond offering immunity. He emphasized the need to restore “dignity” to the profession, which he said has been lost due to political correctness. “The police officers in this country, law enforcement, and sheriffs, everything else, they have to be given back their dignity,” he said. “They want to do their job. But we’ve become so politically correct.”
In his critique of Democratic-led cities, Trump pointed to major urban centers like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles as examples of places where crime has spiraled out of control due to poor leadership. “You look at New York and Chicago and L.A. and every city. All run by Democrats, OK? Liberal, stupid Democrats,” he declared, which was met with cheers and applause from the audience. Trump argued that the country has “lost its way” and that only a return to strict law enforcement policies would bring back stability.
Throughout his remarks, Trump returned again and again to the theme of “law and order,” portraying it as the central focus of his potential presidency. For Trump, ending sanctuary cities and empowering law enforcement are critical steps toward achieving that goal. He framed the upcoming election as a choice between continuing what he sees as the lawlessness of Democratic leadership or returning to a more orderly, secure society.
“In other words, we’re gonna have law and order,” Trump said in conclusion, bringing his speech full circle.
Trump’s commitment to using an executive order to end sanctuary cities reflects his broader immigration and law enforcement agenda, which has been a cornerstone of his political platform since his first run for the presidency. As the 2024 election approaches, it is clear that Trump’s message of strong borders and support for law enforcement will continue to resonate with his base, while drawing sharp criticism from his opponents.
