Judge rules Trump administration cannot cut funding to 34 cities and counties over 'sanctuary' policies
Federal judge blocks move to cut grant funding for 'sanctuary cities.
cities and counties that decline to cooperate with immigration enforcement.
In a 15-page order, Judge William Orrick issued a preliminary injunction expanding protections for dozens of jurisdictions, ruling that federal funds cannot be withheld solely because of their sanctuary policies for undocumented immigrants.
The administration had targeted Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants, threatening to strip more than 30 cities — from Albuquerque to Boston — of hundreds of millions of dollars in funding.
The decision comes amid a broader push by the Trump administration to pressure sanctuary cities into cooperating with federal immigration authorities. In recent months, the Justice Department has launched multiple legal challenges against states and cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Colorado, Illinois, and New Jersey, contesting policies that restrict immigration officials from making arrests at or near courthouses without a judge’s warrant.
