Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Cutting Sanctuary City Funds
Here’s the latest on a major legal battle shaping immigration policy across the U.S. A federal judge has stepped in to prevent the Trump administration from cutting off funding to dozens of cities and counties that have chosen to adopt so-called “sanctuary” policies. These policies generally limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and the administration had been attempting to use funding as leverage to change them.
U.S. District Judge William Orrick, based in San Francisco, extended a preliminary injunction that blocks the government from pulling federal funds or conditioning their use on local jurisdictions complying with immigration enforcement. This injunction now covers 34 cities and counties, including Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. Orrick had previously issued a similar order protecting over a dozen other jurisdictions, and now his ruling has broadened that protection.
The Trump administration had ramped up pressure on sanctuary cities as part of the president’s broader immigration agenda, which aimed to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Executive orders were issued directing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to withhold federal money from sanctuary communities. Federal agencies were also instructed to ensure that payments to state and local governments did not support policies shielding individuals from deportation. Many cities and counties responded by suing the federal government, arguing that billions of dollars in critical funding were at risk.
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Judge Orrick criticized these executive actions, calling them a “coercive threat” that violated the Constitution. He noted that the administration offered no substantive opposition to extending the injunction, except to argue that the first injunction was flawed—a claim currently under appeal. The judge also blocked immigration-related conditions from being imposed on two specific federal grant programs, reinforcing that local governments cannot be forced into compliance through financial pressure.
Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security had published a list of more than 500 jurisdictions deemed noncompliant with federal directives. The department threatened formal notifications and potential criminal investigations for local officials, though the list was later removed after it was discovered that some listed communities supported federal immigration efforts.
This ruling marks a significant legal setback for the Trump administration’s effort to use federal funding as a tool to enforce its immigration policies. By extending the injunction, Judge Orrick has ensured that sanctuary cities and counties can continue their local policies without the immediate threat of losing vital federal dollars. The battle over sanctuary cities is far from over, but for now, these local governments have been legally shielded from financial coercion.
The decision also underscores the ongoing tension between federal authority and local autonomy, highlighting how the courts can play a decisive role in balancing policy disputes that affect millions of Americans.
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