US Judge Blocks Trump from Cutting Federal Funds to Sanctuary Cities Over Immigration Policies

A federal judge in San Francisco has ruled that the Trump administration cannot withhold federal funding from 34 American cities and counties, including Boston, Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles on account of their “sanctuary” policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, The Associated Press reported on Friday.

According to the report, US District Judge William Orrick extended his previous injunction late Friday, calling the Trump administration’s efforts “an unconstitutional coercive threat.” The ruling, the report said, builds on an earlier order that protected more than a dozen jurisdictions, such as San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, among others.

White House Offers No New Legal Defense

Orrick noted that the administration’s only objection to expanding the injunction was to insist his first ruling was incorrect. The original order is currently being appealed, the report said.

In addition to blocking the funding cuts, Orrick also reportedly stopped the Trump administration from adding immigration-related conditions to two specific grant programs.

The Battle Over Sanctuary Policies

The latest legal showdown stems from President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at punishing sanctuary cities. According to the report, while one directive authorised Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to withhold funding, another instructed federal agencies to ensure no public funds support jurisdictions that — in their view — “shield illegal aliens from deportation.”

Cities and counties argued in court that billions of dollars were at stake.

DHS ‘Sanctuary List’ Pulled After Backlash

In May, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a list of over 500 so-called sanctuary jurisdictions and warned that they would be notified of their noncompliant status. That list was eventually pulled after criticism for reportedly including areas that supported the government’s immigration policies.

The DOJ, meanwhile, has also sued New York and Los Angeles over their sanctuary status.

What Is a Sanctuary City?

While the term has no formal definition, it generally refers to jurisdictions that limit cooperation with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These cities often refuse to detain individuals for federal immigration authorities unless required by law.

Orrick, an Obama appointee, concluded that these executive actions overstep constitutional limits by using federal funds as leverage to enforce immigration policies.