Senator Lindsey Graham has pledged to use the full authority of the Senate Judiciary Committee to dismantle sanctuary city policies nationwide if Republicans maintain control of the upper chamber and he assumes the chairmanship in 2027.
According to The Post Millennial, Graham outlined his intentions in a pointed social media statement that underscored both fiscal and public-safety concerns tied to sanctuary jurisdictions. I fully expect to be Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2027 after Republicans retain control of the U.S. Senate.
As Chairman, my top priority will be to pass legislation that once and for all ends sanctuary city policies that lead to massive rip offs of the taxpayer and much worse if it is still an issue in 2027, Graham posted on X on Saturday. For the sake of the country, I hope it will not be.
Graham closed his message with a familiar sign-off, writing, Thank you for your attention to this matter, echoing a line President Donald Trump frequently uses at the end of his own posts. His comments reflect a broader conservative push to restore federal immigration enforcement and curb local policies that shield illegal immigrants from deportation, a stance that has gained renewed urgency amid ongoing border and crime concerns.
The Judiciary Committee is presently led by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, a longtime critic of sanctuary policies who has previously advanced legislation to rein them in. Grassleys 2015 proposal sought to penalize sanctuary jurisdictions by cutting off federal funds to local governments that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, a model many conservatives still view as a necessary tool to restore the rule of law.
The Trump administration has recently escalated pressure on sanctuary cities by directly tying federal payments to cooperation with immigration enforcement. Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club earlier this month, Trump declared, Starting February 1, we are not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens.
The Department of Homeland Security has likewise condemned sanctuary jurisdictions for obstructing efforts to remove dangerous offenders from the country. In a post on X, DHS said, Why are DHS law enforcement surging to sanctuary cities? Because sanctuary jurisdictions wont let us in their jails to arrest the violent criminal illegal aliens in their custody.
As a result, DHS officers are forced to find the released criminal illegal aliens on the streets WITHOUT the support of local law enforcement. Local law enforcement cannot respond to calls for backup when our officers are attacked, assaulted, or obstructed, DHS added. Sanctuary politicians are fighting for criminal illegal aliens. President Trump and Secretary Noem are fighting for the victims of illegal alien crime.
With Graham signaling that a future Republican-led Judiciary Committee would prioritize ending sanctuary policies, conservatives are sharpening a clear contrast: elected officials who side with federal law enforcement and crime victims versus progressive politicians who continue to shield criminal illegal aliens from accountability.
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