The mayor of Cincinnati has declared his municipality to be a sanctuary city, which will now protect illegal aliens from federal immigration officers.

Mayor John Cranley announced, alongside Muslim, Jewish and Christian religious leaders, that his city would “stand in solidarity with the immigrant community,” and declare itself a sanctuary city, despite the threat of losing federal funding under President Donald Trump’s administration.

“This city stands with immigrants,” Cranley said during the live press conference. “This city stands with Muslims. This city stands with Syrian refugees yearning to break free.”

“This city opposes executive orders to halt refugee resettlement and targeting cities that are trying to live up to the promise of the Statue of Liberty,” Cranley continued.

Cranley’s call to become a sanctuary city came just after the Trump Administration enacted an executive order to temporarily halt all refugee resettlement from select nations.

Cranley said he supported Catholic Charities, which is contracted by the federal government to resettle refugees all over the country, citing that his wife’s family are immigrants from Jordan.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has come under fire for his sanctuary city designation after the NYPD released a previously deported criminal illegal immigrant, forcing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to launch an investigation to capture the suspect, as Breitbart Texas reported.

John Binder is a contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.