AGENCIES TO CUT FUNDING TO SANCTUARY JURISDICTIONS. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, NOW DOUBLING DOWN ON HIS EFFORTS TO CUT FEDERAL FUNDING TO CITIES AND COUNTIES THAT DEFY FEDERAL IMMIGRATION MANDATES. ALBUQUERQUE ON THE LIST. SANCTUARY CITIES PUBLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BACK IN MAY WILL STOP FLOWING TO STATES AND CITIES LIKE ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. ON TUESDAY, PRESIDENT TRUMP STATED, QUOTE, STARTING FEBRUARY 1ST, WE ARE NOT MAKING ANY PAYMENTS TO SANCTUARY CITIES OR STATES HAVING SANCTUARY CITIES BECAUSE THEY DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PROTECT CRIMINALS AT THE EXPENSE OF AMERICAN CITIZENS. THEY CAN PROTEST ALL THEY WANT NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE. TOM BOWMAN, THE ADMINISTRATION’S NEXT MOVE, ON WEDNESDAY. I SAID, FOR MONTHS, WE’RE GOING TO SURGE RESOURCES AND SANCTUARY CITIES, BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE THE PROBLEM IS. WE KNOW THE RECENT PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS. WE’RE GOING TO SEND THE AGENTS WHERE WE KNOW THE BIGGEST PROBLEM. IT’S AN UPHILL BATTLE FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP. IF HE WANTS TO WIN IN THE COURTS. KOAT LEGAL EXPERT JOHN DAY, WEIGHING IN ON THE POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS. IT DOES HAVE SOME IMMEDIATE IMPACT IF FEDERAL FUNDS DON’T FLOW TO THOSE CITIES. A CONCERN TARGET 7 INVESTIGATION RAISED RECENTLY. THERE IS A LOT OF CITIES THAT HAVE IMMIGRANT FRIENDLY POLICIES. AND IS IT GOING TO COMPROMISE THEIR OFFICERS? IN IN BEING ABLE TO FOLLOW LOCAL JURISDICTIONS GUIDELINES, THE CITY CAN LOSE $68 MILLION IF WE END UP ON A LIST OF SANCTUARY CITIES. $6 MILLION CUT FROM THE ALBUQUERQUE POLICE DEPARTMENT. NOW FORMER A-P-D CHIEF MEDINA. HAVING THIS TO SAY, WHEN WE ASKED HIM THAT CONCERN AFTER HIS VISIT WITH U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI IN MAY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE BROUGHT UP, I HAD A LOT OF CONCERNED CITIZENS CALL ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAD BEEN PICKED UP, AND IT WAS OUR STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FEDS THAT I WAS ABLE TO PASS THE INFORMATION THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS ACTUALLY PART OF A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AND N
President Trump to cut federal funding to sanctuary cities, states on Feb. 1
Albuquerque, NM, is one of 18 cities published on the Department of Homeland Security’s sanctuary jurisdictions list
On Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, President Donald Trump doubled down on his efforts to halt federal funding during his speech at the Detroit Economic Club to cities and counties due to “non-compliance” with federal immigration mandates. Potentially, it could mean the loss of $68 million for the city of Albuquerque, including $6 million cut from the Albuquerque Police Department.MORE: New Mexico on ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ list “Starting Feb. 1st, we’re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens,” President Trump stated during his speech at the Detroit Economic Club on Tuesday. On Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, KOAT reached out to the city of Albuquerque. Spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos forwarded KOAT the official letter Mayor Tim Keller sent to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding the sanctuary list in August 2025. Read Mayor Keller’s letter, hereNote: According to Gallegos, he states, “The only thing that has changed since then is that homicides continued to go down (34% between 2024 and 2025).”Other potential funding cuts include:$26 million | Albuquerque International Sunport and Double Eagle $11 million | Housing$8 million | Bus System Video below: Former Albuquerque police chief addresses concerns with US attorney Pam Bondi at White House BackgroundThe Department of Homeland Security published a “sanctuary jurisdictions” list on Thursday, May 29, 2025. The entire list targeted states, counties and cities across the country, including 23 counties and two cities in the state of New Mexico. The list was published shortly after Trump signed an executive order calling for federal agencies to discontinue funding to sanctuary jurisdictions on April 28, 2025. However, the list was last updated on Oct. 31, 2025. As of Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, Albuquerque remains on the list. On Thursday, KOAT legal expert John Day spoke on the potential legal challenges, noting, “It’s an uphill battle for President Trump. If he wants to win in the courts, but regardless, in the meantime, it does have some immediate impact if federal funds don’t flow to those cities. Money will stop flowing to states and cities like Albuquerque, New Mexico.”Target 7 Investigation: Confusion over President Trump sanctuary list: Why some NM counties were named According to DHS, “each jurisdiction listed will receive formal notification of its non-compliance with Federal statutes. DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.””We’ll have to see how it plays out in court, but courts will take it up pretty quickly because of how immediate the effect would be and how immediate the harm would be to states like New Mexico and cities like Albuquerque,” Day said.Former Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina addressed concerns after he met with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in May 2025. In May 2025, Medina told KOAT’s Faith Egbuonu, “That is one of the things that we brought up. I had a lot of concerned citizens call about an individual who had been picked up and with our strong relationship with the feds, I was able to pass the information that this individual was actually part of a criminal investigation and not an individual who was being picked up for immigration purposes only.”Stay updated on the latest news updates with the KOAT app. Download here.
On Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, President Donald Trump doubled down on his efforts to halt federal funding during his speech at the Detroit Economic Club to cities and counties due to “non-compliance” with federal immigration mandates.
Potentially, it could mean the loss of $68 million for the city of Albuquerque, including $6 million cut from the Albuquerque Police Department.
MORE: New Mexico on ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ list
“Starting Feb. 1st, we’re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens,” President Trump stated during his speech at the Detroit Economic Club on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, KOAT reached out to the city of Albuquerque. Spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos forwarded KOAT the official letter Mayor Tim Keller sent to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding the sanctuary list in August 2025.
Read Mayor Keller’s letter, here
Note: According to Gallegos, he states, “The only thing that has changed since then is that homicides continued to go down (34% between 2024 and 2025).”
Other potential funding cuts include:
- $26 million | Albuquerque International Sunport and Double Eagle
- $11 million | Housing
- $8 million | Bus System
Video below: Former Albuquerque police chief addresses concerns with US attorney Pam Bondi at White House
Background
The Department of Homeland Security published a “sanctuary jurisdictions” list on Thursday, May 29, 2025. The entire list targeted states, counties and cities across the country, including 23 counties and two cities in the state of New Mexico.
The list was published shortly after Trump signed an executive order calling for federal agencies to discontinue funding to sanctuary jurisdictions on April 28, 2025. However, the list was last updated on Oct. 31, 2025. As of Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, Albuquerque remains on the list.
On Thursday, KOAT legal expert John Day spoke on the potential legal challenges, noting, “It’s an uphill battle for President Trump. If he wants to win in the courts, but regardless, in the meantime, it does have some immediate impact if federal funds don’t flow to those cities. Money will stop flowing to states and cities like Albuquerque, New Mexico.”
Target 7 Investigation: Confusion over President Trump sanctuary list: Why some NM counties were named
According to DHS, “each jurisdiction listed will receive formal notification of its non-compliance with Federal statutes. DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.”
“We’ll have to see how it plays out in court, but courts will take it up pretty quickly because of how immediate the effect would be and how immediate the harm would be to states like New Mexico and cities like Albuquerque,” Day said.
Former Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina addressed concerns after he met with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in May 2025.
In May 2025, Medina told KOAT’s Faith Egbuonu, “That is one of the things that we brought up. I had a lot of concerned citizens call about an individual who had been picked up and with our strong relationship with the feds, I was able to pass the information that this individual was actually part of a criminal investigation and not an individual who was being picked up for immigration purposes only.”
Stay updated on the latest news updates with the KOAT app. Download here.
