Threatens to release detained immigrants into Democratic "sanctuary cities" as retaliation

Trump publicly confirmed reporting that his administration was considering transporting detained undocumented immigrants to "sanctuary cities" represented by Democrats, tweeting that Democrats' refusal to change immigration laws meant he was "giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only." The Washington Post and other outlets reported the plan had been floated inside the White House explicitly as "political retribution" against Trump's adversaries, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco district among the targets. ICE lawyers had rejected the idea as inappropriate. The proposal treated detained human beings as instruments to punish political opponents.

"Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only...." Quote verified against source