The House chairman who oversees Justice Department spending is telling so-called "sanctuary cities" that funding for police, jails and housing will end under President Trump's new executive orders tightening immigration control.

"It's real easy, their money disappears. There's no fight, their money is gone," said Texas Rep. John Culberson, chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that funds Justice.

Culberson last year forced the Obama administration to warn several sanctuary cities and jurisdictions about the funding cut off. In an interview for Sunday's Full Measure With Sharyl Attkisson, he said that Trump's new order covers all 300 of the sanctuaries.

"They are in violation of federal law because federal law requires state and local jurisdictions can't interfere in any way with sharing information about criminal illegal aliens in their custody; in any way means you must cooperate 100 percent of the time — 99 out of 100 of sharing information is not enough," he told the news magazine show.

My statement on President Trump's executive actions to defund sanctuary cities: https://t.co/PjdXko9Erh — John Culberson (@CongCulberson) January 25, 2017



Several cities, including Chicago, plan to fight Trump.

Culberson shrugged that off and said there is no appeal process.

Referring to the Chicago mayor's plan to fight, Culberson said, "It's actually his decision, it's the local government's decision, this is Rahm Emanuel's decision, this is not my decision. This is very simple. If you want federal money, follow federal law."

He also detailed what is at stake. Asked by Attkisson what funds cities would lose if they continue to block federal agents from seizing illegal criminals, he said:

"These are law enforcement grants for the law enforcement of the country and state, the cost of incarcerating illegal aliens in custody, which is particularly galling that these sanctuary jurisdictions hide and protect criminal aliens in their jails from being deported, but they still have to ask for federal money for housing the criminal alien. So that money is cut off. This is also money for the COPS program that Bill Clinton created years ago."

Full Measure airs on Sinclair stations and streams live Sunday.

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com