Trump to sign executive order requiring list of sanctuary cities and states

Donald Trump was expected to sign two new executive orders on Monday afternoon related to immigration, according to the White House, including one targeting so-called “sanctuary cities” and another the administration says will strengthen law enforcement.

Speaking to reporters on Monday morning, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that one of the orders will aim to “strengthen and unleash America’s law enforcement to pursue criminals and protect innocent citizens”.

The second order will target so-called “sanctuary cities”, she said, and will direct the attorney general and secretary of homeland security to publish a list of state and local jurisdictions that Leavitt said “obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws”.

The announcement of the new executive orders comes less than a week after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration cannot withhold federal funding from cities and counties that have passed laws preventing or limiting cooperation with US immigration officials, considered “sanctuary cities”.

On his first day in office in January, Trump issued an order directing the attorney general and homeland security secretary to withhold federal funds from such jurisdictions as part of his administration’s crackdown on immigration.

In February, he also issued another order instructing the federal government to ensure that federal funding to state and local governments does not “abet so-called ‘sanctuary’ policies that seek to shield illegal aliens from deportation”.

In response, San Francisco, along with more than a dozen other cities and counties nationwide with “sanctuary” policies, challenged the orders.

According to Leavitt, the orders set to be signed on Monday will bring the total number of executive orders signed during Trump’s first 100 days in office to more than 140, nearing the total number signed by Joe Biden over his four-year term.

Trump is scheduled to sign the new orders at 5pm ET.