Small Business Administration to Move Offices from Sanctuary Cities

March 9, 2025 TruthUSA

The agency will also terminate loan access for undocumented immigrants.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it will relocate several offices from cities that have sanctuary policies for undocumented immigrants as part of a wider initiative by the Trump administration aimed at curbing illegal immigration.

In a statement last week, the SBA indicated that offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City, and Seattle will be shifted to “more accessible locations that better serve the small business community and adhere to federal immigration law,” which the agency claims will be “less costly” overall.

The SBA’s statement did not specify the new locations for the offices.

“In the past four years, the unprecedented influx of undocumented immigrants has jeopardized the safety of American citizens and the livelihoods of American small business owners,“ said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. ”Under President Trump, the SBA is dedicated to prioritizing American citizens again – beginning with ensuring that no taxpayer money is allocated to support undocumented immigrants.”

Loeffler, who previously served as a senator from Georgia, noted that the SBA will also “cut off loan access for undocumented individuals and move our regional offices out of sanctuary cities that promote unlawful behavior.”

“We will refocus our efforts on empowering legal, eligible business owners across the United States – in collaboration with municipalities that align with this Administration’s commitment to secure borders and safe communities,” she stated.

The SBA does not directly provide loans except in disaster situations but collaborates with lenders to offer loans to small businesses, which often have more favorable terms than traditional loans.

There is no definitive characterization of sanctuary city policies. Typically, such cities are governed by Democratic administrations and restrict local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration agents. These policies have faced significant criticism from Republicans and President Donald Trump.

Last year, Trump proclaimed on the campaign trail that if elected, his administration would target sanctuary cities and undocumented immigrants involved in criminal activities. He also indicated intentions to urge Congress to prohibit such policies.

“Upon taking office, we will promptly deploy federal law enforcement to every failing city – of which there are many – to apprehend criminal aliens, and we will pursue every gang member, drug dealer, rapist, murderer, and migrant criminal that is being unlawfully sheltered,” he stated during a campaign rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, in September 2024.

Several Democratic mayors, including Eric Adams of New York, Mike Johnston of Denver, Brandon Johnson of Chicago, and Michelle Wu of Boston, were recently questioned by House lawmakers about their immigration policies.

Johnston told the House panel that he believes Republicans are distorting these laws.

“We are aware of the myths surrounding these laws. However, we cannot allow misrepresentations and fearmongering to obscure the reality that Chicago’s crime rates are on a downward trend,” Johnson remarked to the committees. “While we still have a long road ahead of us, sensationalizing tragedy for political gain is not governance. It’s grandstanding.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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