On Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he would begin withholding billions of dollars from so-called sanctuary cities and even begin ‘clawing back’ funds that have already been given to these cities.

Sanctuary cities are cities that protect illegal immigrants, allowing them to roam free without consequence. Many times these cities will ignore detainer requests from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, even releasing illegals from jail even after they have been arrested for violent crimes.

Sessions said his department is preparing to give out over $4 billion in federal funds this year, but will prevent any of it from going to cities that openly protect illegal aliens.

“Countless Americans would be alive today if these policies of sanctuary cities were ended,” Sessions said at the White House while speaking about the danger American citizens who live in these cities face.

The Attorney General said he’s carrying out a policy which was presented by the Obama administration last year, but it was never enforced. This policy identified three federal grant programs: Byrne grants, COPS grants and State Criminal Alien Assistance Program money, all of which already require sanctuary certification.

Sessions is simply enforcing existing immigration laws, not creating any new ones.