President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

On Thursday, following an appeals court ruling in his favor, the President announced that the White House will move forward on withholding funds from America’s sanctuary cities.

Trump encouraged said places to stop protecting those who break the law:

“As per recent Federal Court ruling, the Federal Government will be withholding funds from Sanctuary Cities. They should change their status and go non-Sanctuary. Do not protect criminals!”

As per recent Federal Court ruling, the Federal Government will be withholding funds from Sanctuary Cities. They should change their status and go non-Sanctuary. Do not protect criminals! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2020

The judicial decision came last month courtesy of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. That New York outfit overturned a lower court’s kibosh on the administration’s 2017 stoppage of appropriations from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, which — as per Fox News — “dispenses over $250 million a year to state and local criminal justice efforts.”

Will the issue of sanctuary funding eventually reach the nation’s highest court?

Fox believes there’s a good chance:

The decision conflicts with rulings from other appeals courts across the country concerning sanctuary policies, indicating a Supreme Court review is ultimately likely.

The government was sued for its initial position, by states including Washington, Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut.

But the appeals court said it “cannot agree that the federal government must be enjoined from imposing the challenged conditions on the federal grants here at issue.”

As you likely know, sanctuary policies tie the hands of local authorities, preventing law enforcement from complying with ICE requests to be alerted when an illegal immigrant is released from custody — otherwise known as detainers.

But there’s a lot of #RESISTance: While it’s Trump’s position that sanctuary cities make the country less safe, some — like Big Apple Mayor Bill de Blasio — claim the opposite.

Here he is in January:

“The Trump administration’s scare tactics destroy trust in law enforcement. The day our police ask for immigration status is the day people stop reporting crimes and sharing information. It’s the day we stop being the safest big city in America. We won’t let that happen.”

As far as the detainers go — as illustrated by Fox — there’s a lot of safety-centricity therein:

In a letter to de Blasio last month, ICE Acting Director Matt Albence noted that ICE’s New York City Enforcement and Removals Office issued detainers on 7,526 subjects who had criminal histories, including 3,500 assaults, 1,500 DUIs, 1,000 sex crimes, 1,000 weapons offenses, 500 robberies and 200 homicides.

The clash is fierce, and it’s hard to imagine big cities such as New York and LA backing down:

Let's be blunt here: @realDonaldTrump has turned ICE into a political weapon against our immigrant communities. To everyone worried this weekend: this is your city. We will do everything we can to protect you. pic.twitter.com/1w4V4zjZlV — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) July 13, 2019

Receiving reports of attempted but reportedly unsuccessful ICE enforcement actions in Sunset Park and Harlem.@NYCImmigrants and advocates are connecting with residents and distributing resources door to door. Remember: you have rights. Call 311 and say ActionNYC for help. pic.twitter.com/OZwpxlm30d — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) July 13, 2019

A message for all Angelenos: Here in Los Angeles, we will not be coordinating with ICE. Your city is on your side, we are in this together → https://t.co/mHCFBjJ4vC pic.twitter.com/b3apkjzXms — Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) July 13, 2019

They’ve really planted their feet firmly.

But so has Trump.

The battle rages on…

-ALEX

See 3 more pieces from me:

James Woods Responds to Twitter Flagging His George Soros Post – With Just Two Words

Tipping His MAGA Hat to the Worst Media Coverage Ever, Trump Sues ‘The Washington Post’ for Libel

BLM Protestors at the Home of LA’s District Attorney Get a Gun to the Face, Courtesy of Her Husband: ‘I Will Shoot You’

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