Washington, Jan 27 The White House stepped up its criticism of so-called sanctuary policies, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying President Donald Trump is demanding stronger cooperation from state and local authorities to enforce federal immigration laws.
Addressing reporters at a regular White House briefing, Leavitt said the administration views resistance to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by state and local governments as a direct threat to public safety. She accused Democratic leaders in Minnesota of “actively defying federal immigration law” and obstructing federal officers from carrying out their duties.
Leavitt said President Trump had spoken with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz earlier in the day and laid out what she described as “three very simple and commonsense points of cooperation” between ICE and local law enforcement. These included turning over illegal immigrants arrested by local police, transferring those with criminal records to federal custody, and allowing federal officers to operate without obstruction.
She said the administration believes such cooperation is standard practice in most states and warned that failure to comply had “tragically cost lives” in Minnesota. According to Leavitt, the president is calling on Congress to “immediately pass legislation ending sanctuary cities once and for all.”
The press secretary stressed that Americans have a constitutional right to protest but said they do not have “a constitutional right to impede and obstruct lawful immigration enforcement operations.” She added that such actions constitute a crime and place federal officers at risk.
Leavitt also defended the administration’s broader immigration strategy, saying President Trump remains committed to deporting “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.” She said ICE had arrested “many — multiple violent criminals” in recent days, including individuals convicted of assault, domestic violence, fraud and driving under the influence.
Responding to questions about civil liberties, Leavitt said the president strongly supports the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, but warned that carrying weapons while confronting law enforcement increases the risk of deadly outcomes.
The issue of immigration enforcement remains politically charged in the United States, particularly as states and cities controlled by Democrats continue to challenge federal authority. The Trump administration has made cooperation with ICE a cornerstone of its domestic security agenda.
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