1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am writing to express serious concern about the federal government withholding tax dollars from states that exercise their constitutional rights regarding sanctuary policies. This represents a fundamental violation of the principle that Americans should not face taxation without representation. The Justice Department recently announced plans to pursue lawsuits against 35 sanctuary jurisdictions, including 12 states and the District of Columbia. These states collectively represent over 100 million taxpayers who contribute billions of dollars annually to the federal treasury. When the federal government threatens to withhold funds or impose financial penalties on states for exercising their Tenth Amendment rights, it creates a situation where citizens are taxed by a government that refuses to respect their democratically elected representatives. The residents of these 12 states pay federal income taxes, payroll taxes, and countless other federal levies. In return, they expect their tax dollars to be distributed fairly and their state governments to be treated as equal partners in our federal system. Instead, the administration is using federal funding as a weapon to coerce states into abandoning policies their voters have chosen through their elected officials. This is not how our constitutional system is supposed to work. States have the right to set their own law enforcement priorities and determine how to allocate their own resources. The Supreme Court has consistently held that the federal government cannot commandeer state and local law enforcement. When Washington punishes states financially for exercising these legitimate powers, it undermines the entire concept of federalism and representative government. I urge you to oppose any federal action that withholds tax dollars from states as punishment for exercising their constitutional authority. The people of sanctuary states should not be forced to pay federal taxes while being denied fair treatment and respect for their democratic choices. Please stand up for the principle that taxation must come with representation and equal treatment under our federal system.