Federal funds to Los Angeles, sanctuary cities blocking ICE on chopping block in new House GOP bill

FIRST ON FOX: A new House GOP bill would see sanctuary cities like Los Angeles lose their federal funds if they refuse to comply with federal immigration authorities.

"I mean, we've had far too many instances where we have seen someone lose their lives at the hands of someone that's in this country illegally," Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital.

"These sanctuary cities have gone out of their way to ignore federal law for far too long. And it's time that we get serious and we put teeth to things."

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He's introducing the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act on Tuesday, Fox News Digital is first learning, which has a Senate companion bill introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

The bill would allow the executive branch to withhold federal funds from states, cities, or other localities that refuse to comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On a more granular level, it would also empower state and local officers to work with federal authorities, even if the laws within their operating jurisdictions mandate otherwise.

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Langworthy said that provision is critical to officers in his Buffalo-anchored district. New York's Green Light Law, he explained, both allowed illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses and prevented sharing state DMV records with federal authorities.

"That really got my attention when I met with ICE at the beginning of the year, and I met with Customs and Border Patrol agents in Buffalo during the Biden administration. They said that this is the largest impediment they have to do their jobs," Langworthy said.

For a traffic stop, he said, "They think they know who's in the car, but they can't run the tags because they're New York tags, and they're taking their lives into their own hands on every single apprehension request."

The push to defund sanctuary jurisdictions comes after a weekend of violence on the other side of the country, where rioters in Los Angeles clashed with federal authorities over ICE raids in the blue stronghold city.

Democratic officials have criticized President Donald Trump for sending the National Guard in over the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom, while Republicans have blasted those progressive leaders for doing little to help federal authorities amid the protests.

Langworthy said he hoped the violence would stay in Los Angeles, and that political tensions would not make their way to liberal New York City.

"I think the president setting the tone very early on, this will not be tolerated. We will federalize the National Guard and maintain law and order in the streets of our country," he said. "Hopefully that is heard loud and clear across the country by anyone that looks to bring unrest to our streets and disrupt civil society."