Lamont dismisses Trump threat to cut CT funding. CT gets $2 billion a year

Hartford Courant – Thursday, January 15, 2026
By Christopher Keating

Gov. Ned Lamont dismissed President Donald Trump’s latest threat to block federal funds on Feb. 1 to Connecticut and 10 other states that he calls “sanctuary states.”

Trump made the threat on social media and during a speech in Detroit, saying that the federal money would not be sent to states like New York and California because they have immigrant-friendly cities like New York, San Francisco, Berkeley, Seattle, and Chicago. Other states include Vermont, Rhode Island and Colorado, among others.

“No more payments will be made by the federal government to states for their corrupt criminal protection centers known as sanctuary cities,” Trump wrote on social media. “All they do is breed crime and violence.”

But Lamont said that Connecticut would stand its ground and reject Trump’s notion that it is a sanctuary state.

“We’re responding to this because every week there’s something else coming out of Washington,” Lamont said Wednesday when asked by The Courant. “We have the bipartisan Trust Act. It says very clearly that when there are dangerous people, we work with ICE. We work with anybody to make sure that dangerous people are off the street. We’re not a sanctuary state, but we’re going to keep our people safe.”

Standing next to Lamont during a tour of a Southington concrete company, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said, “We just want to say to the president, we’re not a sanctuary state. Just check our state law and our federal law. … It’s in the law. Check it.”

Bysiewicz added, “Hopefully, what matters is our United States Constitution. Our Connecticut Trust Act is in line with federal law, and it’s in line with our Constitution. We want the people of Connecticut to know that we will cooperate with ICE and the federal government when it comes to taking dangerous people off the streets, but we also want our people to feel safe in their communities so that they can go to church, go to their jobs, go to school and feel safe. What we don’t need is ICE intimidating our folks in Connecticut and making them feel unsafe.”

She added, “But the federal government and the state government are in line with protecting people and keeping people safe.”

Lamont said that he had “traded a couple of calls” with state Attorney General William Tong, adding, “I can guarantee you, he’s clear that we’re not a sanctuary state. He’s pushing back on the president’s interpretation.”

Tong agreed with Lamont and Bysiewicz on the controversial issue.

“There is nothing in our laws or statutes that says Connecticut is a ‘sanctuary’ state. We are not,” Tong said in a statement. “Trump’s own administration certified Connecticut’s compliance with 8 U.S.C. § 1373 in 2017. Nothing has changed to alter that certification. Any claim or suggestion that Connecticut has violated or is not in compliance with federal law would be false.”

Tong added, “We have not received any notice from the federal government on these latest comments from the president, but we are prepared to pursue all legal rights and remedies to defend our sovereignty and the people and families of Connecticut should that be necessary.”
Failed in past

Past efforts by Trump to cut off funding have been blocked in the courts, including during Trump’s first term.

It remained unclear how much money could be at stake if Trump cut off federal funding. The money is spread out in a huge number of categories for a wide variety of programs. During the 2024 fiscal year, more than $14.3 billion in federal money was allocated “through our state agencies directly to Connecticut residents, nonprofits, schools, and much, much more,” according to state Comptroller Sean Scanlon.

During the 2025 fiscal year, Connecticut received about $1.9 billion in federal grants directly as part of the annual state budget. The funding has been projected to increase to $2 billion and remain steady at that level for three years through the 2030 fiscal year, according to state revenue estimates.

Connecticut has clashed with the federal government in the past.

In a letter last year that responded to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Lamont wrote, “While the term ‘sanctuary jurisdiction’ has no legal meaning, nothing in Connecticut laws or policies violates federal immigration law or impedes federal officials from carrying out their immigration enforcement duties.”

Lamont added, “During President Trump’s first term, the Department of Justice examined Connecticut’s laws and policies, and … the Office of Justice Programs expressly certified our compliance with [federal law]. That certification was correct when DOJ issued it, and Connecticut laws and practices remain in compliance. Contrary to the assertions in your letter, Congress has not ‘codified the duty of states and local governments to cooperate in immigration enforcement efforts.’ That would be unconstitutional.”
Republican view

In past months, Republicans have clashed with Lamont over the interpretation of Connecticut as a sanctuary state.

“So, Gov. Lamont doesn’t want anyone referring to Connecticut as a ‘sanctuary’ state?” Senate Republicans asked. “He’d be more accurate if he called Connecticut a ‘super sanctuary’ state, because that’s what Connecticut most assuredly is. And Connecticut’s super sanctuary policy is statewide, not just in a few cities.”

On Wednesday, state Senate Republican leader Stephen Harding of Brookfield said, “Connecticut Democrats at our state Capitol are more interested in protecting violent criminals than enabling our own citizens to receive vital services and benefits. Let’s work together, implement common sense public safety policies and restore federal funding to our state.”

House Republican leader Vincent Candelora said last year that Bondi was right on the issue.

“While ‘sanctuary state’ may not appear in statute, Democrats have systematically blocked law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officials — making it difficult to remove criminal illegal aliens that most Americans and Connecticut residents want off our streets,” he said. “Worse, we know there’s a growing element of Democratic legislators who are pushing to make cooperation even harder while trying to expand free health insurance benefits that will attract more illegal immigration and strain resources for Connecticut residents. Don’t expect this federal scrutiny to change their minds — they’ll likely double down instead.”

In another federal funding issue, officials said Wednesday that the state could lose $11.5 million in grants for mental health, addiction and substance abuse that are being cut by the Trump administration.

Former state budget officials Gian Carl Casa, who is now the president of the Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance, said thousands of residents could be impacted.

“Nonprofit providers have struggled for decades with underfunding,” he said Wednesday. “Providers are still evaluating the total impact, but we know that without necessary funding, many programs will simply cease to operate and lives will be lost. … It is hard to understand the administration’s rationale that programs that literally save lives are not a priority and can be eliminated.”

Lamont also decried the cuts.

“Halting previously promised funding creates unnecessary anxiety and jeopardizes care for some of our most vulnerable residents, especially those seeking help,” Lamont said. “As we evaluate the full impact, we demand the federal government reverse course on these dire cuts and ensure those seeking critical resources have access to them.”

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