Mayor Kabat says no to Trump’s executive order to enforce immigration laws

Add La Crosse to the list of sanctuary cities in U.S.

There’s no official declaration. Not yet. 

But Mayor Tim Kabat says La Crosse will continue to be on the list of cities that won’t comply with an executive order from President Donald Trump that mandates local police enforce federal immigration laws or risk federal grant funding.

“We are not going to become a police state, where we’re calling immigration and custom agents, if we do come across folks that are undocumented,” Kabat said.

In his executive order on sanctuary cities, Trump said cities – like La Crosse – “have caused immeasurable harm to the American people and to the very fabric of our Republic.”

Kabat says he’s still trying to sort out the federal funding that will be cut from the city if Trump follows through on his threats.

“We are going to continue, and our police department is going to continue, to treat every person with respect, regardless of their immigration status,” Kabat said.

San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia are sanctuary cities. The ones Trump has in mind with the executive order. But Kabat says go ahead and add La Crosse to that list, because his city will also say no to the mandate.

“La Crosse is just like many cities around the country,” Kabat said. “We do not enforce federal immigration laws and the president, apparently, wants us to start doing that.

“La Crosse is a welcoming and accepting city for everyone and it’s going to continue to be that way.”