We seem to be building towards a showdown over America’s sanctuary cities. It involves a raw clash over the dangers and cost of illegal immigration. And it draws in debate over federal versus local control. President Trump continues to threaten to cut off taxpayer funds to non-cooperative cities and states. But some cities are doubling down. Scott Thuman reports from Portland, Oregon.

The following is a transcript of a report from “Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.”
Watch the video by clicking the link at the end of the page.

A familiar scene in 2025 and continuing into this year

Some of the fiercest clashes taking place in the sanctuary cities of Chicago, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles

Standoffs, sometimes turning violent–even deadly, over the stepped-up efforts of federal law enforcement to arrest and deport illegal immigrants.

Which brings us to Portland, Oregon, a pioneer of the sanctuary city movement that’s faced ongoing protests over federal immigration enforcement. We went to see their newest strategies

And not just on the streetsfor activists, it’s being fought in city hall.

City Counselor Mitch Green is a Democratic Socialist..

Scott: What’s the right answer when it comes to a sanctuary status in this city?

Mitch Green: Yeah, I think the right answer and what portlanders want to see is the city doing everything in its power to prevent Department of Homeland Security and ICE agents from deporting our neighbors.

That includes passing a law this past October, which strengthens Portland’s position as a sanctuary city. making sure local police don’t cooperate with federal detainersin other words, handing over someone they’ve arrested, for deportation. They already had the first law in the country in the late 80’s to establish the practicenow, it’s been codified as a city ordinance, to prevent racial profiling and, proponents argue, protect human rights.

Mitch Green: We have an immigrant community that contributes to our economy and they are being terrorized. I think the city needs to be showing portlanders that we’re willing to test the boundaries of what cities can normally do up against the federal government and use the levers that we have at our disposal to stop what I think my constituency is a gross overreach and an infringement upon our values.

Dan Mason is one of Oregon’s representatives to the Republican National Committee. and says his city has moved dangerously too far, toward leniency.

Scott: What’s your biggest concern about that in your home city? The sanctuary fight and the intentional pushback against ICE and not cooperating with, for example, federal immigration detainers?

Dan Mason (08:26): I mean, I think that if you’re a lawmaker, whether you’re at the city or the state level, you should encourage people to be law-abiding citizens and follow the laws that are on the books. And I think you’ve got a culture within a lot of the elected Democrats that they are not advocating for that at this moment. And frankly, I mean, that’s terrifying. And I think when you have a sanctuary state, you have a sanctuary city that creates an unsafe environment where people are unvetted.

Some trace the history of sanctuary cities back to the civil war era’s anti-slavery movementwhen northern states acted as sanctuaries, accepting and protecting slaves who had made their way north on the underground railroad..

In the 1980s, some churches in the south became sanctuaries for people fleeing wars in Central America. At the time, republican president Ronald Reagan classified most as economic migrants, refusing to give them asylum.

As the sanctuary idea has grown and spread, cities, counties, and states across the US have declared themselves sanctuary jurisdictions, though there’s disagreement about what the definition of a sanctuary is, it generally means a place that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

In January President Trump, warning, sanctuary cities that hold that title, do so, at a great risk.

Trump: you got to get rid of your sanctuary cities, and I hope our people know that we’re not going to pay sanctuary cities. We’re not going to pay them anymore. They are sanctuary for criminals. They hold criminals. We’re not going to pay. They can sue us and maybe they’ll win, but we’re not giving money to sanctuary cities anymore.

Later that month, he went further

Calling “on the United States Congress to immediately pass legislation to end sanctuary cities

Though the administration hasn’t explained how that could be done.

Since the beginning of his second term, some places have backed off: Huntington Beach, California, has eliminated its sanctuary statusLouisville, Kentucky, as well. And all of Texas and Louisiana too.

and now a growing divide has emerged, even in blue cities like Chicago.

P Rae Easley: We never voted on this. This was always a directive from the city council, not something the people asked for.

P. Rae Easley, a Chicago native and Republican now running for office, complains her city’s leaders have been too focused on opposing President Trump, rather than residents’ safety

Like Megan Bos, the 38-year-old woman found in a trash can and doused in bleach last year. Federal officials claim an illegal immigrant from Mexico was responsible.

Easley is campaigning against current rules that prohibit police from even asking suspects about their immigration status.

P Rae Easley: “there is no sanctuary for Americans who break federal laws, but yet illegals are getting all of this protection.”

She’s among the growing number of residents across the country, who want voters, not city councils, to decide their status.

P Eae Easley: So this is something that we never voted for as citizens. and then when we asked for the opportunity to do so, they voted against it. They meaning the city council. So this has always been a directive from the city council, not something that we ask them to do. And now that we’re saying we can’t afford, can’t afford this, please stop. They won’t stop.

Back in Portland, some preparing for what they’ll do, should President Trump carry through on his threat to cut any federal funding.

Scott: You’re at risk of losing a lot of money over this.

Mitch Green: We are, but i’ll just note that again, portlanders are very unified in saying, we are willing to do whatever it takes to push back against the threats of this administration.

Scott: they’re willing to take that hit.

Mitch Green: And I think what they’re asking for is politicians to stick their neck out and start talking about that.

He says an added tax on the rich could offset any lossesand Portlanders themselves might have to make that decision.

for Full Measure, Scott Thuman, Portland, Oregon.

Watch the video here.