Sanctuary City Leaders Divided On Cooperation With Trump's Immigration Agenda

The leaders of several sanctuary cities, who strongly opposed Donald Trump's immigration policies during his first term, are now rethinking their approach, as he prepares to return to office with mass deportation plans.

Few city officials have become less committed to the "sanctuary city" label, and are now open to cooperating with federal immigration authorities. However, others remain firm in their stance, continuing to declare their cities as safe havens for undocumented immigrants and refusing to support Trump's deportation efforts, NBC News reported.

The term "sanctuary city" is not an official designation. It refers to a city, county, or municipality that has policies or laws in place to restrict local officials from working with federal immigration authorities. These measures aim to help undocumented immigrants feel safer in the community.

Some of the largest and most Democratic cities in the U.S. are taking different approaches to immigration, reflecting changing political attitudes. While many city leaders strongly opposed Trump's immigration policies during his first term, some are now willing to cooperate with his administration on key priorities or tone down their opposition.

Mayor Cherelle Parker and District Attorney Larry Krasner, both Democrats from Philadelphia, appear to be moving away from openly celebrating the city as a sanctuary or using the confrontational strategies seen in the past.

"Sanctuary city can mean a lot of things, and so that whole discussion can get confusing and maybe generate more heat than light," Krasner said, adding that Philadelphia was a city that valued community and supported immigrant neighbors, who contributed positively to society.

He stated that the city would comply with legal and constitutional requirements regarding immigration enforcement, noting that while Philadelphia authorities would not interfere with lawful actions by federal immigration authorities, any illegal actions by ICE agents would be addressed appropriately.

Parker avoided giving a direct answer when asked whether Philadelphia was a sanctuary city. Instead, she emphasized the importance of diversity as a key strength of both the city and the country.

Leaders in some major sanctuary cities remain strongly opposed to Trump's immigration plans. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson noted that the city would uphold its sanctuary policies and refuse to cooperate with ICE deportations.

Last week, the Chicago City Council rejected a proposal to loosen restrictions on city officials working with federal immigration authorities in cases involving violent or drug-related crimes.