Jason Williams, and Chrissie Thompson

Cincinnati

Cincinnati's federal money for roads, bridges and other projects could be in jeopardy after last week's decision to become a so-called "sanctuary city," White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters on Wednesday.

It's the first time Donald Trump's administration has specifically weighed in on Cincinnati becoming a sanctuary city, a symbolic gesture that shows Cincinnati stands with immigrants in the wake of the president's mandate last month to ban travel to seven predominantly Muslim countries.

“The president is going to do everything he can within the scope of the executive order to make sure that the cities who don't comply with it … they will not get federal government funding," Spicer said. "Areas like Miami-Dade down in Florida understand the importance of this order, and we hope cities like Cincinnati and other communities around the country follow their lead and comply with that."

Spicer was responding to question from Cincinnati WLWT-TV reporter Courtis Fuller, who via Skype specifically asked: "Will Cincinnati face economic or other sanctions including, for example, funding of the Brent Spence Bridge, which (Trump) said he would fund when he was on the campaign trail?"

Mayor John Cranley responded Wednesday afternoon, reiterating Cincinnati is not flouting federal immigration laws by designating itself a sanctuary city. Federal law enforcement agencies specifically handle enforcing immigration laws, and local police departments are not required to do that.

“Given that Mr. Spicer said that only cities that violate federal law will lose federal funds, and the city of Cincinnati has not and will not violate federal laws, the city is not in jeopardy of losing federal funds,” Cranley said in a statement.

The city later offered a legal opinion from city solicitor's office reiterating Cranley's position, arguing the "sanctuary city" declaration breaks no federal laws and won't lead to any funding loss.

"The City’s resolution declaring itself a Sanctuary City is the exercise of constitutionally-protected free speech, which the City will defend as it seeks to uphold the fair and just application of the law within its boundaries," the statement read.

Last week, Cranley scoffed at the notion the city would lose federal funding after he announced Cincinnati as a sanctuary city. Several others, including Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, have agreed with Cranley. But it's uncertain what Trump might attempt to do regarding federal money given to cities, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown said last week.

“We don’t really know how the White House intends to implement this rule,” the Cleveland Democrat said.

But under Trump, he said he can’t be sure if that will hold. “He doesn’t feel constrained by the Constitution or by law or by tradition,” the Ohio Democrat said.

The fight began Jan. 25, when President Trump issued an executive order shutting off federal funds for cities that refuse to inform federal officials about undocumented immigrants in their custody. Aimed at so-called "sanctuary cities," the order set off a series of dueling press conferences, votes, declarations and denunciations in Cincinnati and Columbus.

The Monday after Trump's order, Cranley summoned a crowd of Muslim, Jewish and Catholic leaders to City Hall to announce that Cincinnati was a "sanctuary city," Cincinnati City Council followed up with a vote affirming the declaration.

That prompted Republicans to propose legislation that would punish city leaders. GOP U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel, who is Ohio's treasurer, and state Rep. Candice Keller, R-Middletown, want to ban sanctuary cities by holding city council officials civilly and criminally liable for injuries or deaths caused by locals who are in the country illegally. Keller plans to introduce a bill to make such offenses a fourth-degree felony, punishable by up to a year and a half in prison and a $5,000 fine. The civil liability would be worth up to $1 million in fines.

Trump’s executive order got a rare endorsement Wednesday from Gov. John Kasich, who opposed Trump in the 2016 GOP primary and refused to vote for him in the November election.

“I think the president is right on this, and this is a bad, bad thing,” Kasich told the Ohio Newspaper Association’s convention in Columbus. “When people break the law, they need to be held accountable for something like, you know, coming in here illegally. No, I don’t believe in the sanctuary cities.”

Kasich said he thought the situation would “work itself out” without the passage of new legislation. The comment was possibly a reference to Mandel’s proposal. As a presidential candidate, Kasich opposed deporting people who are in the country illegally and instead suggested allowing them to earn legal status, but not citizenship.

Can Washington really punish Cincinnati for being a sanctuary city?

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