The Government's War On Sanctuary Cities About To Ramp Up

This morning, April 28, 2025, at the White House press briefing, Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, doubled down on his aggressive stance against sanctuary cities, signaling an all-out war on jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal immigration enforcement. Homan, who has been a vocal critic of sanctuary policies since his appointment, announced plans to “flood” cities like Chicago with federal agents, ramping up worksite enforcement operations and street arrests to target undocumented immigrants, particularly those with criminal records. He reiterated his earlier warnings that sanctuary cities are “sanctuaries for criminals,” a sentiment echoed in his recent Fox News appearance where he stated that non-cooperation forces ICE to operate in communities, increasing risks to both agents and residents. Homan’s strategy includes doubling manpower and operations in these cities, a move he claims is necessary to ensure public safety but which critics argue is a deliberate escalation to intimidate local leaders into compliance.

For governors like Illinois’ J.B. Pritzker, Homan’s rhetoric at the briefing should be a cause for alarm, as he explicitly warned that state and local officials who impede federal efforts could face legal consequences. Homan referenced the felony of harboring illegal immigrants, a point he has made repeatedly, including in a December 2024 statement on X where he said, “If you are knowingly concealing an illegal immigrant from an ICE agent, that’s a felony, and we will prosecute.” This morning, he took it a step further, suggesting that the Department of Justice is prepared to investigate and potentially prosecute officials who defy Trump’s immigration directives, a policy backed by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s earlier memo to end funding for non-compliant jurisdictions. Pritzker, who has been called to testify before Congress on May 15 and has consistently defended Illinois’ sanctuary policies under the Trust Act, now faces the real possibility of arrest if the administration follows through on these threats, especially given Homan’s track record of targeting defiant leaders like Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, whom he threatened to jail last November.

The broader implications of Homan’s war on sanctuary cities are already being felt, with Chicago facing the potential loss of over $3 billion in federal grants, as reported by ABC7 Chicago earlier this month. Homan’s comments today also highlighted his frustration with sanctuary policies that prevent ICE from accessing local jails, forcing agents to conduct more dangerous street operations—a point he emphasized during a January 2025 “Face the Nation” interview. Critics, including Pritzker, argue that these policies protect law-abiding immigrants and foster trust with law enforcement, but Homan’s unyielding approach suggests little room for compromise. With the administration having already detained 11,000 undocumented immigrants since Trump took office, as noted by the BBC in February, and plans to intensify operations, leaders like Pritzker may find themselves not only battling funding cuts but also facing personal legal jeopardy as Homan pushes the boundaries of federal authority in this escalating conflict.