ICYMI: At the White House, Graham Stands Firm on Push to Abolish Sanctuary Cities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) yesterday stood with President Trump in the Oval Office and called for an end to sanctuary cities during the signing ceremony for the third Fiscal Year (FY26) appropriations package.

Senator Graham has maintained that the underlying cause of illegal immigration and the unrest surrounding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids is sanctuary city policies. To root out this problem, the senator has introduced legislation that would abolish the practices of sanctuary states and cities once and for all by holding state and local officials accountable for defying federal immigration law.

• On the consequences of sanctuary city policies:
• • GRAHAM: "These magnets of illegal immigration have to go. There is no upside to sanctuary cities unless you are a complete radical nutjob. The cops hate it. [There is massive] fraud around sanctuary cities. And you're going to get more illegal immigration." https://youtu.be/QG0mNoF-13w?si=0tw-eDAc42OU63Ck&t=61

As Congress considers funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Democrats have refused to fund the department and its agencies unless Republicans agree to their radical demands. One of their reforms is to require ICE to obtain judicial warrants - as opposed to administrative warrants - to deport illegal immigrants. This proposal would massively impede ICE's ability to swiftly carry out President Trump's agenda.

• On the brewing debate over DHS funding and immigration enforcement:
• • GRAHAM: "If you want a debate on how to solve this problem, show up next week. I'm going to take President Trump's idea that it's time to end the insane policy of sanctuary cities. We're going to take it to the floor and we're going to vote. And people in November are going to get to see who they trust to keep the border secure: Schumer or Trump. I'm with Trump." https://youtu.be/QG0mNoF-13w?si=XoOOfOpMBHzm1eC9&t=92

• On Democrats' demand to ban the use of administrative warrants by ICE:

Senator Graham also underscored the reason ICE has been deployed to various states and cities stems from the Biden Administration's policies that allowed millions of illegal immigrants to pour into the country. Graham chastised the media for neglecting to report on the victims of Biden's open border, and he urged President Trump to stand strong on immigration enforcement.

• On the failures of the Biden Administration's immigration policies:
• • GRAHAM: "[The media is] playing like Biden didn't exist. Y'all won't tell the American people about Laken Riley. It's a one-sided debate. For four years our border was obliterated. [The Biden Administration] let them come in by the tens of millions, and they want to go back that way. We're not going. So, Mr. President stick to your guns." https://youtu.be/QG0mNoF-13w?si=Vk6xf83oF7pJMnH8&t=25

####