Trumps right: Sanctuary cities must work with the feds or pay a price

President Donald Trump may face a tough legal battle to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities and states, as he vows he will.But eventually he’ll prevail, unless Democrats somehow manage to sway voters to back an “amnesty for all” approach, even for violent criminal illegal immigrants — and good luck with that.Clearly these defiant, increasingly violent jurisdictions need to be restrained and forced — one way or another — to follow the law.“Starting Feb.

1, we’re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states” with “sanctuary cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens,” the prez warned; “it breeds fraud and crime and all of the other problems that come.”Actually, it’s worse than that: When cities and states ban cooperation with federal immigration authorities, they force agents to track down and arrest illegal immigrants at loose in the community, and risk resistance from activists as well as the immigrants themselves.Cooperation would curb the chaos: For starters, local officials should honor ICE “detainers” by holding arrestees and convicts subject to deportation until federal agents can take custody of them, rather than setting them free.That would eliminate, or at least reduce, the need for public arrests — and avoid sick, impromptu protests like that one the led to Renee Nicole Good’s death.As we’ve noted, if activists hadn’t interfered with ICE’s legal duties, Good would still be alive.Remember, too: Trump ran for president explicitly promising “the largest deportation in the history of our country” — and was elected with a decisive majority.Plus, federal law takes priority over state and local law; no one has legitimate grounds to interfere with federal enforcement.Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Please provide a valid email.

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