Federal Judge Broadens Restrictions on Trump’s Fund Withholding from Sanctuary Cities

Federal Judge Expands Ban on Trump Administration’s Funding Policies for Sanctuary Cities

This week, a federal judge in San Francisco broadened a previous order that prevents the Trump administration from withholding federal funds from Sanctuary Cities that do not comply with immigration authorities.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, extended this injunction on Friday. Since the start of the year, the Trump administration has claimed it is attempting to compel local officials to collaborate with agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding the detention of undocumented immigrants.

Orrick’s ruling affects other municipalities that have joined lawsuits against Trump’s funding restrictions, including cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore, Denver, Albuquerque, and more.

This decision stems from a lawsuit initiated in February by San Francisco, alongside requests from 16 cities and counties nationwide.

The jurisdictions in the initial lawsuit include Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota, New Haven in Connecticut, Portland in Oregon, Santa Fe in New Mexico, and Seattle in Washington.

These cities have implemented laws and policies that limit local law enforcement’s ability to assist the federal government in immigration arrests.

The lawsuit contested President Trump’s executive order titled “Protecting Americans from Aggression,” which instructed the Department of Homeland Security to cut funding to sanctuary jurisdictions.

The cities involved argued that they faced billions of dollars in potential losses.

Trump initially issued a similar order during his first term in 2017, and the same San Francisco judge ruled against him then. Orrick had previously granted a preliminary injunction in this ongoing case.

“He’s at it again,” Orrick noted in his ruling.

The judge determined that withholding federal funds violates the 10th Amendment, which delineates powers between the national and local governments. Trump’s legal team is currently challenging this ruling.

In his recent action, Orrick blocked the administration from imposing immigration-related conditions on two grant programs.

Supporters of sanctuary jurisdictions argue that cooperating with federal immigration enforcement can deter illegal immigrants from coming forward as victims or witnesses in criminal cases.

“The threat of withholding funds causes irreparable injury, creating budget uncertainties and eroding trust between cities, counties, and the communities they serve,” Orrick mentioned when he first issued the ruling in April.