President Trump signed an executive order on Monday cracking down on so-called sanctuary cities, just as the administration pulled $24 million in federal grants previously promised to Denver for migrant sheltering.
In a letter to city leadership, the Department of Homeland Security said the grants—used partly to house an influx of 43,000 migrants—supported illegal immigration and didn’t align with the agency’s mission to secure the border.
The order directs federal agencies to identify sanctuary cities, which would likely include Denver, and give them a chance to comply with immigration law or risk losing federal funding.
Legal challenges are already underway, as a federal judge blocked the administration from denying funds to sanctuary jurisdictions last week.