Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) stated on Fox News Sunday that local Democrats should support President Donald Trump’s efforts to deport illegal aliens with criminal backgrounds, breaking from the stance of some sanctuary city officials who have vowed to resist federal immigration enforcement.

During the interview with host Shannon Bream, Fetterman addressed the growing opposition from Democratic leaders in cities such as Chicago, Denver, and Tucson, who have openly rejected assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in deporting illegal aliens.

When asked whether local officials have a duty to cooperate with the federal government, Fetterman made his stance clear.

“I hope every local official would agree that anyone here — that any of the migrants that are here with criminal backgrounds are engaging in criminal behavior. I think they should support that. Now if ICE comes to round them up I hope they would provide that kind of support,” Fetterman said.

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Trump, within his first week back in office, took immediate steps to address illegal immigration by signing executive orders declaring a national emergency at the southern border and designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

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His administration also reversed policies from the Biden era, allowing ICE agents to aggressively target and deport criminal aliens, including individuals convicted of violent crimes such as rape and murder.

Fetterman, while expressing support for deporting illegal aliens with criminal records, also noted that he does not support indiscriminate raids on non-criminal illegal aliens.

“I certainly would never support terrorizing otherwise innocent migrants in those kinds of situations or kicking in a door at a school,” Fetterman said.

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“But I think we can all agree that every migrant here with a criminal background or engaging in criminal behavior all needs to go.”

Despite Fetterman’s position, several Democratic mayors have continued to resist cooperation with federal authorities.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston have been vocal about their opposition to Trump’s deportation initiatives.

Image Credit: © Jasper Colt-USA TODAY

Johnson recently reaffirmed that Chicago would remain a sanctuary city, stating, “We will continue to protect civil and human rights and welcome all individuals and families who want to work, live and thrive.”

The resistance from sanctuary cities has led to warnings from key officials in Trump’s administration.

Border czar Tom Homan and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem have stated that despite opposition from local officials, ICE operations will continue across the country.

“The reality is, these sanctuary cities, their laws have caused us problems. They are limiting some of our tools that we want in our toolbox, but we’re going to continue to go in and use our operations and then show in other cities how it’s working and tell our story to the American people,” Noem said in a recent appearance on Fox News.

As Trump’s administration moves forward with its enforcement policies, the divide between federal immigration authorities and sanctuary city leaders is expected to widen.

However, Fetterman’s comments signal that not all Democrats are willing to oppose deporting migrants with criminal backgrounds, a stance that could create further tensions within his party.

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