Save Sba From Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. CRANK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2931. We have allowed sanctuary cities to openly defy Federal immigration law for far too long. There must be real consequences for it.

I thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Finstad) for introducing this important piece of legislation. I am also grateful to Chairman Williams of the Committee on Small Business for working with me to ensure that my community, El Paso County and Colorado Springs, isn't swept up in the radical sanctuary policies coming out of Denver, Colorado.

Specifically, I thank the gentleman for accepting our amendment to ensure that communities like mine, which are fighting back against criminal-coddling politicians, remain eligible locations for SBA offices.

We have heard a lot of folks who are opposed to this bill say things like: It is undermining small business, or: It is creating a culture war.

This is about the rule of law. This is about cities thumbing their noses at taxpayers. You aren't entitled to Federal funds in America.

Mr. Speaker, there is a way to keep these offices in these cities: Stop being sanctuary cities. Comply with the law.

When did complying with the Federal law become something that was optional in America? It is incredible.

As we hold sanctuary jurisdictions accountable, we must recognize that not every community in a sanctuary State is part of the problem. I believe the amended bill draws that line distinctly, and it recognizes districts, like Colorado-05 that I represent, that have been bravely pushing back on their own.

When the Biden administration opened our borders and over 8 million or more crossed into our country illegally, 300 migrants per day rolled into Colorado because cities like Denver welcomed them with our taxpayer dollars. Migrants with connections to dangerous gangs, like Tren de Aragua, didn't just stay in Denver, but they moved to nearby communities, and they took over apartment complexes that were owned by individuals.

El Paso County, my county, recognized the threat, but had zero support from the Colorado legislature, who at the same time passed more laws to make it worse. The Colorado legislature passed laws prohibiting law enforcement from honoring ICE detainers. The Colorado legislature restricted data sharing with Federal immigration agencies. The legislature also passed a law that banned contracts for immigration detention centers.

This is lawlessness, and this body should recognize it as such.

In 2024, my good friend, Sheriff Joe Roybal of El Paso County, and other county leaders filed a lawsuit against the State arguing that these laws are unconstitutional and that they hamper public safety.

Contrast that with cities like Denver, which have exacerbated their housing crisis, and they continue to support illegal immigrants, going so far as to bar city employees from cooperating with Federal immigration enforcement.

Mr. Speaker, talk about playing politics. That is playing politics.

They passed laws in Denver to create a legal defense fund for illegal immigrants. They passed a law to spend more than $180 million a year on related services, all while hosting the SBA regional office and laughing at the American taxpayers while doing it.

This is unacceptable. Sanctuary cities should not be rewarded with Federal offices and resources. That is why I wrote to SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler urging her to move the regional office to Colorado Springs, where we cooperate with Federal authorities and support small business, and we uphold law and order for our citizens.

While President Trump has delivered on his promise to regain operational control of the border, the fight isn't over. We need full cooperation between Federal, State, and local law enforcement.

It is unfortunate that Colorado's leadership is still going in the wrong direction. Despite Governor Polis saying in January that he was open to working with the Trump administration, he instead signed new legislation in May that expands protections for illegal immigrants, even after local officials raised serious concerns.

My community, meanwhile, is doing the work. El Paso County and the Colorado Springs Police Department are partnering with ICE and the DEA. In April, they led a nightclub raid that resulted in over 100 illegal immigrants being detained for human and drug trafficking. This is something that we are going to support with lawlessness? Not in my community. In May, they turned over 13 illegal immigrants to ICE custody.

We understand the real consequences of sanctuary policies. Colorado has become a haven for illegal immigration. In one tragic case that we all now know about this week, an illegal immigrant who overstayed his visa launched Molotov cocktails at innocent Boulder residents in what was a hateful, racial attack, despite the State knowing that that person was already illegally in our country. The State of Colorado gave him a driver's license. We can't let sanctuary jurisdictions defy Federal law and endanger public safety.

I will be clear. El Paso County, my county, is not a sanctuary jurisdiction. Despite the policies from Denver, we are committed to working with Federal immigration authorities and protecting our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Williams and his staff for working with me and working with my county. El Paso County is ready and willing to host the SBA office.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2931.

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