Former President Trump announced new policy proposals promising to eliminate sanctuary cities across the country.
“Today, I am announcing a new plan to eliminate every sanctuary city in North Carolina and across the country,” Trump said at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday.
The remarks came as President Trump continued to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris on border security, noting that she was appointed “secretary for border affairs” before President Biden's administration oversaw a record number of illegal crossings during his first three years in office.
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Former President Trump departs from a campaign event at Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, Wisconsin on September 7, 2024. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
So-called “sanctuary cities” – jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities – have become controversial in recent years, with critics arguing that their existence encourages illegal border crossings and hinders the ability of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain immigrants who allegedly commit crimes in the United States.
Trump vowed to tackle the issue at a rally on Saturday, telling the crowd, “I will ask Congress to pass legislation outlawing sanctuary cities across America, and I will use the full force of the federal government to address any jurisdiction that refuses to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
Former President Trump pumps his fist as he leaves a campaign event at Nassau Coliseum, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Uniondale, New York. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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The former president also doubled down on his pledge to deport all illegal immigrants living in the country, starting with those who pose a threat to public safety.
“As soon as I take office, I will send federal law enforcement to every city that has not extradited criminal aliens (and there are many) and we will track down and arrest every gang member, drug dealer, rapist, murderer and criminal immigrant who is illegally harboring them,” Trump said. “We will get them out of North Carolina and send them home where they belong.”
Former President Trump speaks at a rally in Uniondale, New York, on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
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North Carolina is one of seven key battleground states expected to play a major role in this year's election. Trump, who narrowly won the state in both 2016 and 2020, currently holds a slim 0.1 percentage point lead in the state, the narrowest of the seven, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average.
