A federal court on Thursday halted President Donald Trump’s efforts to slash federal funding for sanctuary cities and impose criminal penalties on local and state officials who do not comply with the administration’s hard-line immigration policies.
U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick wrote the order in response to a February lawsuit spearheaded by San Francisco and Santa Clara counties. A handful of other jurisdictions, including Portland, Ore., and King County, Wash., joined the suit.
“The threat to withhold funding causes them irreparable injury in the form of budgetary uncertainty, deprivation of constitutional rights, and undermining trust between the Cities and Counties and the communities they serve,” Orrick wrote in the ruling.
The case carries significant consequences for San Francisco, which is facing a budget deficit of more than $800 million over the next two years and is closely watching how federal cuts may affect that shortfall.
Since Trump took office for the second time, San Francisco has reaffirmed its sanctuary city policy through resolutions and public statements from officials. The policy prevents city employees from working with federal immigration officials in most cases.
“The federal administration is illegally asserting power it does not have, as courts already determined during the first Trump administration,” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said in a statement Thursday. “We are pleased the Court stated the Trump administration cannot coerce plaintiffs into joining their reckless and illegal mass deportation efforts.”
Chiu’s office has sued the administration four times during Trump’s second term.
It’s likely the Trump administration will appeal the case to a higher court.
“President Trump received a resounding mandate to put Americans and America First, and the administration will continue to prioritize the wellbeing of our citizens above all else,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai wrote in a statement in response to Thursday’s order.