New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was quick to react to President Donald Trump’s pronouncement on funding to sanctuary cities a day ago, emphasizing the five boroughs wouldn’t cede to his threats.
Trump dropped the news in a Tuesday speech at the Detroit Economic Club. Without offering specifics, he said, starting on Feb. 1, he would deny federal funding to any states whose local governments are perceived as resisting his administration’s immigration agenda. Such an action could have far-reaching impacts.
Mamdani, at an unrelated press conference, said he reached out to Trump to express, “my sharp opposition to this decision and to make my values clear.”
Two previous efforts by Trump to cut off some funding for sanctuary jurisdictions were shut down by courts. Mamdani said he was confident the city would win the legal battle again in this case.
No one is above the law.
From the President on down.
That’s why I will allow New Yorkers to hold ICE agents accountable in court when they act outside their lawful duties.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) January 13, 2026
The president’s Tuesday announcement reverberated across the United States, as local and state leaders raced to respond to his latest push to advance his administration’s immigration policies.
Tracie Strahan reports on the Trump funding fight.
“Starting Feb. 1, we’re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities, because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens and it breeds fraud and crime and all of the other problems that come,” Trump said. “So we’re not making any payment to anybody that supports sanctuary cities.”
Later, back in Washington, Trump was asked by reporters what kind of funding would be affected on Feb 1.
“You’ll see,” he said. “It’ll be significant.”
There is no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A sanctuary city is a city that limits its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agents in order to prevent undocumented immigrants from deportation.