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The Trump administration announced this week a tightening of immigration policies on two fronts: by pausing immigrant visas from 75 countries and by threatening to cut federal funding for sanctuary states and cities that do not fully comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
President Donald Trump has once again warned that jurisdictions with sanctuary policies could face financial consequences, accusing local governments of protecting criminals rather than cooperating with federal authorities.
“They do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens,” Trump said.
It marks the president’s third attempt to penalize sanctuary cities by withholding federal funds, after similar efforts were blocked by the courts in the past. Trump argues that local governments are refusing to work with immigration officials, adding that “it breeds fraud and crime and all of the other problems that come, so we’re not making any payment to anybody that supports sanctuary cities.”
In Massachusetts, several cities, including Boston and Cambridge, have pushed back against federal immigration requests, placing the state squarely in the administration’s crosshairs.
Boston City Councilor Enrique Pepén said local leaders are preparing for potential fallout.
“We are prepared for anything at this point,” Pepén said. “We are preparing, budget-wise, protection-wise, just keep an eye on everything.”
Gov. Maura Healey said she is willing to cooperate with federal authorities, but she criticized the administration’s approach.
“If you want to put away bad guys, if you want to come into communities, work with governors, work with AGs, work with local law enforcement, to do that, you’ve always had support,” Healey said. “But that’s not what’s going on.”
Legal experts say the administration may once again face constitutional hurdles.
“Not the president, but the Congress that is in charge of collecting money, which is through taxation, and also spending money,” said Constitutional law attorney Joseph Malouf.
He added that without Supreme Court intervention, the president is likely to lose any legal challenge.
At the same time, the State Department announced it will pause immigrant visa applications for people from 75 countries, including Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia and Haiti. The policy applies to those seeking to live permanently in the United States and does not affect short-term visas for tourists, students, or temporary workers.
Advocates say the new rules significantly raise the bar for would-be immigrants. Marie Pereira, founder of the Haiti Immigration Project, said the justification for stricter screening has shifted.
“First, it was national security,” Pereira said. “Now, it’s becoming a public charge.”
Under the new directive, immigration officials will expand screenings to ensure visas are not issued to applicants who may require food, medical, or housing assistance.
Pereira acknowledged the complexity of the issue.
“People do come here with pre-existing conditions looking for the excellent health care provided in America, and they do create a drain, sometimes, on the system,” she said.
There are also concerns about another potential surge in immigration enforcement in the region. The Department of Homeland Security said it will continue its presence, but declined to discuss future operations.
The cuts to sanctuary cities and states are set to take effect on Feb. 1, while the pause on immigrant visas begins Jan. 21 and will remain in place indefinitely.
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Oscar Margain
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