White House Considered Releasing Migrants in ‘Sanctuary Cities’ – The New York Times

But at that time, officials at the Department of Homeland Security once again raised significant concerns about the idea’s legality, and the proposal was not carried out.

A spokeswoman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, who represents San Francisco, one of the most high-profile sanctuary cities in the country, condemned the idea on Thursday night.

“The extent of this administration’s cynicism and cruelty cannot be overstated,” said Ashley Etienne, a spokeswoman for Ms. Pelosi. “Using human beings — including little children — as pawns in their warped game to perpetuate fear and demonize immigrants is despicable, and in some cases, criminal.”

Ms. Etienne added, “The American people have resoundingly rejected this administration’s toxic anti-immigrant policies, and Democrats will continue to advance immigration policies that keep us safe and honor our values.”

Mr. Trump has frequently, and harshly, criticized sanctuary cities, saying their actions are a violation of federal immigration laws and allow violent criminals who are undocumented immigrants back onto the streets instead of being deported.

During his campaign for the presidency, Mr. Trump often cited the case of Kate Steinle, who was killed by an undocumented immigrant in San Francisco. He mentioned the case during a key immigration speech in 2016, months before the election.