HYDE-SMITH BACKS BILLS TO STOP TAXPAYER DOLLARS FROM FUNDING SANCTUARY CITIES

HYDE-SMITH BACKS BILLS TO STOP TAXPAYER DOLLARS FROM FUNDING SANCTUARY CITIES

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) this week cosponsored a pair of bills aimed at cutting off federal funding for so-called sanctuary cities and other jurisdictions that hinder the enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws.

Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, is an original cosponsor of the No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act (S.707), introduced by U.S. Senator James Risch (R-Idaho), and the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act (S.685).

“Folks in Mississippi and around the country are baffled by cities and states that aid and abet illegal immigration, and they’re right to question why their taxpayer dollars are being used to prop up these so-called sanctuary cities,” Hyde-Smith said.  “Senator Risch’s bill would begin the process of ending the gravy train for those jurisdictions that flaunt our immigration and border laws.”

“Sanctuary cities abuse taxpayer dollars and fuel the illegal immigration crisis,” said Risch.  “My No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act stops these jurisdictions from using federal funding to directly give handouts to illegal immigrants.” 

S.707 aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order, Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders, which blocks federal agencies and programs from providing taxpayer-funded services to illegal immigrants.  The bill seeks to prevent sanctuary jurisdictions from receiving federal funds specifically benefitting illegal immigrants, defining a “sanctuary jurisdiction” as any local or state government that withholds information about an individual’s citizenship status from federal, state, or local authorities.

Hyde-Smith has cosponsored the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act since arriving in the Senate in 2018.  Introduced this year by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), S.685 would deny certain federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions with policies that obstruct U.S. immigration law enforcement and disregard requests to detain criminal aliens sought by federal authorities.  

Both bills have been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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