In January 2017, Mayor John Cranley declared Cincinnati a "sanctuary city," signaling that the city would not enforce federal immigration laws against people who are here illegally.

On Friday, President Donald Trump said his administration is "giving strong consideration" to sending migrants who are arriving at the southern border to sanctuary cities.

"Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only," Trump posted on Twitter.

On Sunday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump "likes the idea" of busing migrants who enter the country illegally to the so-called sanctuary cities.

Cranley's office didn't return emails for comment Friday or Monday about Trump's plan or how the city might respond.

Cincinnati and Franklin County are the only sanctuary municipalities in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. About 300 such jurisdictions nationwide, including eight states, do not fully cooperate with federal immigration enforcement agencies.

Two major immigrant-assistance groups in Cincinnati reacted to Trump's announcement about placing migrants around the country.

"We will continue to work in the community to welcome immigrants who are seeking safety and well-being for their families," said Ted Bergh, chief executive of Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, Bond Hill.

"We have done this for our 100-year history. We hope our elected officials can find a safe and fair solution to the large number of migrants in the world today."

Catholic Charities agencies here and across the country provide financial, housing, educational, employment and health assistance to migrants, primarily those coming from Mexico and Central American nations such as Guatemala and Honduras.

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Immigration attorney Julie LeMaster is co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit Immigrant and Refugee Law Center in East Price Hill.

"I think (Trump's plan) is a clear abuse of human beings as a political tool," she said. "It's further proof that there is a lack of humanity in our current system and a further violation of human rights."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are stretched at the border, LeMaster said.

"How would this help that crisis?" she asked. "How much sense would it make to take resources from where they're needed now? First off, which cities? How are you going to get them there?"

The term "sanctuary city" is a highly-politicized and complicated phrase these days, far removed from the concept of sanctuary, hiding a family or two in a church basement during an immigration raid. A newly reorganized congregational sanctuary coalition here vows to shelter and provide for unauthorized people in their buildings. A major goal is to prevent families, in which some members are authorized and others aren’t, from being separated.

Cincinnati police adopted a policy in March 2015 that reads “officers will not stop, detain, question or arrest a person solely on the basis that the individual may have unlawfully entered the country” or overstayed a visa. “CPD officers will not enforce immigration laws.”

Working with immigrants is part of the department’s approach to community-oriented policing. “There is a benefit to having them be comfortable with going to police, not just as victims of crimes but as witnesses who can help us solve them,”

Cranley, who calls Cincinnati “immigrant friendly,” supported an identification card for vulnerable populations that is produced and distributed by two faith-based organizations. The MARCC ID card, named for the Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati, is recognized by all city departments, most notably police.

Much of Trump’s disdain for sanctuary cities focuses on local jails that, he says, either ignore or fail to honor detainers in which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ask for 48-hour holds on undocumented prisoners. In Hamilton County, the sheriff’s office is responsible for the jail.

The sheriff honors detainers and criminal warrants from any enforcement agency” including court orders. Still, the county’s “General Order on Foreign Nationals” reads that it “shall not detain Foreign Nationals under an Immigration Detainer for a minor misdemeanor offense alone or where Ohio law would otherwise require (them) be released from custody.”

Still, several local advocates for vulnerable and unauthorized immigrant populations say the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department does cooperate fully with ICE and holds immigrants for 48 hours.

USA Today contributed to this report.