Donald Trump is considering withholding federal police grants to local agencies that refuse to carry out his mass deportation plan, a report claims.
The former president has said that, if elected, he will implement a drastic plan to remove migrants and immigrants who have come to the United States – especially via the U.S.–Mexico border.
In order to make the plan work, members of Trump’s team have floated the idea of holding funds hostage to motivate local police to participate, three people close to his campaign told NBC News.
Trump has not unveiled this as part of his mass deportation plan and The Independent has asked the campaign for comment.
If implemented, this could be an attempt to skirt around any potential legal challenges. During his first administration, Trump’s harsh immigration policies like the Muslim ban, ending DACA and his separation of families at the border all were met with opposition in the courts.
One of those challenges that was never officially settled was from states suing the Trump administration for cutting off federal funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program (Byrne JAG).
Byrne JAG is a leading source of federal funding to states to assist with various programs. Trump cut off Byrne JAG funding to cities and states that rejected his harsh immigration policies – so-called “sanctuary” cities.
But the lawsuit never played out fully because President Joe Biden reinstated that federal funding when he took office in 2021.
A second Trump administration could use a similar framework to implore cities and states to participate in the mass deportation program by withholding Byrne JAG grant funding – which could spawn a series of legal challenges that would likely work their way to the Supreme Court.
The three sources told NBC News they think the measures would survive legal challenges.
