Federal Court Upholds Block on Trump-Era ‘Sanctuary City’ Funding Cuts

A U.S. District Judge has reaffirmed a preliminary injunction, preventing the former Trump administration from withholding federal funds from dozens of cities and counties due to their ‘sanctuary’ policies. The ruling, issued late Friday, extends protections to Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and 30 other jurisdictions, building on an earlier order that safeguarded cities like San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick, who initially issued the injunction, stated that the administration failed to provide new opposition to the extended order, despite having appealed the first ruling. The court also specifically blocked the administration from imposing immigration-related conditions on two particular grant programs.

The legal battle stems from the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to crack down on ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions, which limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Former President Trump had issued executive orders directing federal agencies to withhold money from these areas, claiming they ‘abet’ policies that shield undocumented immigrants from deportation. Cities and counties involved in the lawsuit had warned that billions of dollars were at risk.

Judge Orrick, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, previously characterized the executive orders and related actions as an unconstitutional ‘coercive threat.’ The Justice Department had also pursued separate lawsuits against cities like New York and Los Angeles over their sanctuary policies. While there’s no universal definition, ‘sanctuary cities’ generally refer to localities that limit their collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in identifying and detaining individuals for deportation.

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