President Trump spoke with the White House governor last week. He urged the governor of Maine to challenge Janet Mills on the state’s policies regarding transgender student-athletes and respond, “See you in court.”
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Many of Trump’s plans are not possible without the help of state leaders who have the power to enable or block White House goals.
If Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is “the largest massive deportation program in American history,” then plan your deportation plan for Trump.
“Unless a state like Florida is actively working to promote federal operations, that cannot be achieved,” the Republican governor recently added federal officials on the Florida Highway Patrol to carry out immigration enforcement. It was stated when the agreement was announced.
It’s not just a matter of human resources, but it’s also a matter of authority. The federal government is strong, but the state has jurisdiction over cities and counties, police, schools and health departments. Remember, a few years ago, the governor occupied the state in various directions regarding Covid closures and vaccine requirements.
In contrast to Desantis’ support, last week Trump Public disputes with Maine Democrat Janet Mills about whether her state will adopt Trump’s policies regarding transgender sports students. “Then the court,” the governor told the president at a White House meeting with the governor.
The United States was created with the idea that the state has power, except for areas spelled out by the US Constitution. Local officials, such as police and sheriffs, are primarily controlled by local and state law, not federal mandates.
And then there is politics. For now, Trump and his supporters have political momentum, saying that election victory has supported their agenda. Democracy-led states challenge several court policies. But much of it will rise or fall on what the governor and the state legislature do. Here’s a look at some of the issues you’re playing.
States can order police to help deport in ways that federal officials can’t.
The federal government is responsible for protecting US borders, but that doesn’t mean that local law enforcement can force participation.
“The federal government is actually very limited in enforcing something in a state or region,” says Rick Su, a law professor at the University of North Carolina. But state lawmakers have the authority to allow police and sheriffs to participate in immigration enforcement, including detaining people for immigration violations.
To make that possible, Florida, like some states, has already made it a national crime to have someone in Florida without legal status in the United States. That means local police can commit a misdemeanor in their first crime and then tell people about felony.
State troopers removed protesters during a special session in the Tennessee Legislature last month, moving forward with a sweeping immigration bill.
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Tennessee lawmakers, urged by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, made it a felony last month that local elected officials vote for sanctuary policies that are banned in the state. In Alabama, I have one suggestion Make it a crime to protect or detain someone without legal immigration status.
And democratically-led nations use their power to oppose deportation back to the first Trump administration. The city has adopted a sanctuary policy, allowing state lawmakers to prohibit police from detaining people on federal immigration charges.
But they cannot fulfill their federal duties and prevent US immigration and practices, or ice. And politics here may be difficult for Democrats right now. The referendum shows a lot of the masses Supporting the idea of deportation And the “sanctuary” policy tends to be unpopular.
Trump wants to review American schools, but it is mostly in the hands of locals.
Trump Signed an order encouraging the use of taxes To pay tuition fees for children attending private schools – an idea called a school voucher, or a school choice by supporters.
“What the administration is signaling is that they want education, freedom, choice and these dollars to bring closer to each student,” said Senior Vice President of Policy at the American Legislative Exchange Council. One Lee Shark says: It promotes “freedom of education.”
But much of Trump’s plans depend on the state. Legislators in mostly Republican-led Congress have already brought some form of voucher or School Choice for many states. Texas Governor Greg Abbott asks lawmakers to start Voucher program that can send billions A year to private school.
Many democratically-led states have blocked voucher programs, and the idea is Usually, it’s lost when placed on voters Directly, amid concerns that both Democrats and Republicans will drain money from public schools.
One thing Trump can do is persuade Congress to pass tax cuts for groups that can subsidize tuition. His last plan from the administration would have cost about $5 billion in tax revenue, but Hundreds of thousands of students (Currently, 50 million school children from around 1 million countries have obtained vouchers).
Trump also threatened to cut funding “End the fundamental indoctrination” At school. But state and local governments manage school curriculum and they nurture More than 80% of your money.
Meanwhile, some Trump allies are calling for the US Department of Education to be shut down. That could possibly lead to less surveillance in some areas where the federal government is in power – especially in preventing discrimination, leading to state leaders having more control over schools.
Trump has won support for crime concerns, but law enforcement is primarily local.
Crime has risen during the COVID pandemic, and most crimes have been Since then, it has been dropped into many regions. But that was a recurring theme throughout Trump’s campaign, saying he criticised the Biden White House and local officials for criminal justice policy.
“Now the pendulum is back to normal. Thank God, especially in the blue city, this is not what we voted for,” says Charles “Curry” Stimson, senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation. says. A research group that later compiled the Project 2025 Plan for Government Overhaul, written by those who joined the Trump administration.
But as Stimson points out, the majority of the crimes have been charged at the local level by prosecutors in county and courts in 50 states. State lawmakers set their rules.
The states led by both parties and voters in referendums have already stepped up crime laws. California Strengthening penalties for drug crimes and Shoplifting. Republican-led states are considering ways Run more runs. Some states and regions have eliminated cash bail requirements for some crimes, while other state legislatures are considering ways to strengthen bail requirements.
Abortion rights, vaccines and fluorides are determined at the state and city level
President Trump praised the US Supreme Court’s decision to end federal abortion in 2022 as he was justified in his first term. Reproductive rights are a straightforward example of problems up to state legislators, as evidenced by the ever-changing patchwork of abortion laws across the country.
Going further, the state is reinterpreting the power of other healthcare based on whether transgender care can ban drugs used for abortion. Nicole Hooverfeld, a law professor at Boston University’s law school and co-director of the School of Reproductive Justice program, said, “The state has the authority to determine which types of health care should be legal.” “They claim that they are.” The government doesn’t. ”
Democratic state attorney general after Trump signed an executive order threatening to cut federal funds from hospitals providing transgender care new york and California They told the hospital they still had a duty to continue treatment under state law.
Meanwhile, public health, such as public school children and workplace vaccine requirements, is active in Congress around the country.
The common practice of putting fluoride in water to improve dental health – criticised by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., new secretary of health and welfare – is managed by states and cities. Several state legislatures are considering bills banning their use.
