This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Friday, January 27th, 2017.

I'm Caleb Brown.

President Trump's attempt to defund so-called sanctuary cities must contend with some facts.

One is this. State and local law enforcement are under no obligation to enforce federal immigration laws.

David Beer, immigration policy analyst at the Cato Institute, explains why.

I've spoken with our colleague Alex Narasta about the distinctions to be made between sanctuary cities and the so-called secure communities.

But in news reports that I've read there is this, I guess, presumption that because the President of the United States wants state and local

authorities to stop doing something, that they are somehow compelled to do so.

And in this case, the news reports that I've read indicate well these state and local

authorities and some words are in some ways are scofflaws by deciding to continue the policy of being sanctuary cities?

Well that's entirely wrong.

The states and localities have the right to enforce the law however they see fit.

Under the Supreme Court case, United States v Prince,

the Supreme Court has said that states are under no obligation to enforce federal statutes.

And that case dealt with gun rights and conservatives were really on the other side saying,

we absolutely have the right as sovereign states to not enforce federal law on behalf of the federal government.

It's the exact same situation here.

He can't force them to do what he wants.

What does that mean for cities that are hearing

the looming threat of having some funds for some purposes from the federal

government restricted if they don't go along with these plans?

Well that's certainly a very real threat and it's one of the things that he has talked about doing is taking away federal grants.

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