You can never have law and order in sanctuary cities: Sen Lindsey Graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., shares his thoughts on the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policy and the future of the Iranian Islamic regime on ‘Hannity.’
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham rebuked sanctuary cities as places that incentivize "massive fraud" and said President Donald Trump is working on a plan to eliminate sanctuary city policies.
Telling Fox News host Sean Hannity Tuesday he had talked to Trump, Graham said the president would be "reasonable" with Minneapolis leaders in attempts to quell anti-ICE unrest in the state but that he ultimately would not bend to sanctuary city policies.
"What Donald Trump is not going to do is avoid dealing with sanctuary city policy," he said. "President Trump is working with me and others to introduce a bill to go to the floor of the United States Senate to end sanctuary city policy forever, to eliminate it.
"All the 12 states who are doing this will be punished if they don't change," Graham warned. "You can never have law and order with sanctuary city policies."
On Sunday, Trump called on Congress to pass legislation to "end" sanctuary jurisdiction policies in a Truth Social post.
A person holds an anti-ICE sign as demonstrators rally during a general strike protesting President Donald Trump’s deployment of immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis Jan. 23, 2026. (Tim Evans/Reuters)
His post came amid the White House’s tensions with Minnesota officials over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents’ confrontations with local agitators. On Jan. 24, Border Patrol agents fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti, the second Minneapolis resident fatally shot by federal agents this year.
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Still, Pretti's death seems to have prompted a reset in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown strategy in Minnesota. After heavy criticism following Pretti's shooting, Trump reassigned Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino from Minneapolis and sent in border czar Tom Homan.
Slain Georgia college studentLaken Riley next to an image of a memorial for Alex Pretti, who was killed by federal law enforcement agents. (Getty Images/Laken Riley via Facebook)
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and President Trump agreed they had a productive phone call Monday on the anti-ICE unrest. Homan arrived in Minnesota Tuesday and met with Walz and Frey separately.
Walz and Homan "agreed on the need for an ongoing dialogue and will continue working toward those goals," according to Walz's office.
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Cooperation between Trump administration officials and Democratic leaders in Minnesota marked a notable shift in tone after Homan's arrival, but there are still rifts. As the Trump administration urged local officials to comply with ICE’s requests to detain illegal migrants, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he would not enforce federal immigration laws.
Lindsey Graham argued sanctuary city laws in 12 states will continue to be divisive and are the "source of the problem."
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that Senate Democrats would not support a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security after a fatal shooting involving a border patrol agent in Minnesota Saturday. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
"It literally incentivizes more illegal immigration," Graham told "Hannity." "It's a massive invitation to fraud, and it breaks down law and order. And what happened in Minnesota is a result of a state ignoring the law that's there to help the people."
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security expires Jan. 30, and Senate Democrats are pushing for ICE reforms and spending cuts.
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