Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that sanctuary cities will be denied federal tax dollars to repair damage caused by the recent anti-ICE riots. Duffy made it clear that cities refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement shouldn’t expect hardworking American taxpayers to foot the bill for destruction enabled by their own reckless policies.
On Monday, Duffy announced that cities emboldening anti-ICE rioters will receive no funding to fix the damage caused by protestors who destroyed buildings and infrastructure, all the while their Democratic leaders stood by and cheered on the rioters.
“The @USDOT will NOT fund rogue state actors who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement,” Duffy wrote on X. “And to cities that stand by while rioters destroy transportation infrastructure — don’t expect a red cent from DOT, either. Follow the law, or forfeit the funding.”
Anti-ICE demonstrations erupted into violent unrest in cities like Los Angeles, Portland, and Salt Lake City, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Protesters confronted police, shattered windows, and used fixed concrete debris as weapons against officers. Rioters torched vehicles—including a California Highway Patrol cruiser—and ransacked local businesses, including phone shops and clothing stores. Downtown areas were hit especially hard, with walls covered in anti-ICE graffiti, forcing city crews to begin extensive cleanup operations.
In Portland, rioters took part in a so-called “direct action” protest that shattered windows at businesses including Starbucks, Chipotle, Umpqua Bank, and Urban Pantry. They also defaced the storefronts with graffiti, scrawling messages like “banks suck” across the buildings.
President Donald Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to ramp up its operations in Democrat-run cities, promising to hold the violent mobsters accountable for their actions. In a Sunday Truth Social post, the president made it clear that anti-ICE protests won’t stand in the way of what he calls the “single largest mass deportation program in history.”
He announced plans to expand deportation efforts in major cities where millions of illegal immigrants reside and accused Democrats of encouraging illegal immigration to manipulate elections, expand their voter base, grow the welfare state, and deprive hardworking American citizens of good-paying jobs and benefits.