As local cities embrace sanctuary status, politicians work to dissolve them

In our state, sanctuary cities such as Seattle risk losing federal funding if they continue to defy President Donald Trump by sheltering illegal immigrants. Mayor Ed Murray said Seattle will remain a sanctuary city, even if it means having to raise taxes to make up for the loss in funding from the federal government.

He reiterated that stance in January, telling an audience at Seattle University that tax increases may be on the table, KIRO 7 reports.

“If the federal government fails to come forward, if the state continues to be paralyzed, maybe we’ll have to go back to the voters again,” Murray said.

But a politician in Virginia is trying to keep the decisions of leaders from impacting the lives of taxpayers.

Senator Richard Black told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson that he’s proposed a bill that will crack down on sanctuary cities by making it possible to sue local governments for any damage done by an illegal immigrant.

The law would be “very broad,” Black explained. So broad, that if someone living in the country illegally crashed into another vehicle, the local government could be responsible for paying for the damages.

This bill, Black told Dori, will send people running from sanctuary cities.

The Virginia state Senate passed the bill (SB 1262) 21 to 19 on Monday, NBC29 reports.

“It prevents the situation which is becoming increasingly common across the country where you have localities that say: we don’t care what the federal law says, we don’t like federal immigration law, and we invite people to come here and we’re going to shield you from legal process,” Black said on Monday.

If Seattle loses federal funding, the “biggest threat” is a loss of about $10 million that funds police, Murray said.

President Trump has said he doesn’t want to defund any city. However: “If they’re going to have sanctuary cities, we may have to do that. Certainly that would be a weapon.”

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