Trump launches fresh attack on sanctuary cities with new executive order

Donald Trump is marking his first 100 days in the White House by going on the offensive. The president signed new executive orders Monday afternoon seeking to expand the massive operation to detain and deport undocumented immigrants he launched on January 20. The president is once again targeting sanctuary cities, progressive cities where local authorities refuse to support federal operations against undocumented immigrants. He also intends to expand the capabilities of the police and military for this same task.

Trump has requested a list of states, counties, and cities from the Department of Justice that have avoided participating in federal immigration enforcement operations. The president has instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue legal action against local authorities that refuse to cooperate with agencies such as ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and the Department of Homeland Security.

At the same time, through another executive order, Trump is shielding police and other local security forces. “My Administration will work to ensure that law enforcement officers across America focus on ending crime, not pursuing harmful, illegal race- and sex-based “equity” policies,” states the decree signed Monday afternoon in the Oval Office.

The new executive order calls on the Justice Department to establish a defense fund for officers who are sued as part of their public safety duties, which may include allegations of police abuse. The administration notes that this legal representation for officers may be provided through private law firms, which will work pro bono in defense of the officers.

The White House has reached agreements with five major law firms to provide pro bono legal advice in defending some of the Trump administration’s policies. Among the firms that have agreed to work pro bono for the government is Willkie Farr & Gallagher, where Doug Emhoff, Kamala Harris’s husband, works as a lawyer. This firm will provide services for up to $100 million.

In Section 4 of the executive order, the president also authorizes the Department of Justice and the Pentagon to deploy military and federal personnel to assist state and local authorities in crime prevention efforts. In his first days in the White House, the president signed another series of orders militarizing the border with Mexico. Some 6,000 troops and several combat vehicles are currently deployed to guard the southern border.

The administration says some 139,000 people have been apprehended and deported in Trump’s 100 days in office. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt has rejected comparisons with Joe Biden, a president who expelled undocumented immigrants at a similar and sometimes higher rate. Leavitt said Trump’s deportations were carried out while keeping the number of illegal immigrant arrivals low. There were 7,100 in March, the latest month for which figures are available. Whether the downward trend is confirmed will become apparent in the coming days.

Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, appeared before the press Monday morning at the White House. He described the border controls implemented in these initial months as an “unprecedented success.” “We’re going to keep doing it, full speed ahead,” asserted Homan, who recently promised to increase the number of detainees and deportees.

Homan wasn’t the only one exposed to the press. Stephen Miller, Trump’s influential national security policy advisor and the mastermind behind some of the administration’s cruelest policies, has defended the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan for having hindered the detention of an undocumented Mexican immigrant.

The judge’s arrest by federal agents has caused a scandal in the U.S. and adds to the challenge the administration has launched against other branches of government. “When you have federal judge who engages in plain, direct, overt, intentional, and willful violation of federal laws, of course they’ll be arrested and of course they belong in jail,” Miller told reporters.

To kick off a series of events marking the 100th day of Trump’s second term, the White House placed 100 photographs on the grounds of the official residence featuring the faces of undocumented immigrants who have been detained and accused of rape and murder.

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