Chicago Saturday, Augus23rd, 2025
A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot deny funding to 34 cities and counties, including Boston, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles, because of their “sanctuary” policies. U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco extended a preliminary injunction, blocking the administration from cutting off or conditioning the use of federal funds. This decision protects billions of dollars in funding that the cities and counties said were at risk.
The Trump administration had issued executive orders directing federal agencies to withhold funding from sanctuary jurisdictions, which limit cooperation with federal immigration efforts. However, Judge Orrick ruled that these orders were an unconstitutional “coercive threat.” The administration has appealed the decision, but for now, the injunction remains in place.
This ruling is a significant victory for the cities and counties that sued the administration. The Department of Homeland Security had published a list of over 500 sanctuary jurisdictions, saying they would receive formal notification of noncompliance. However, Judge Orrick’s decision blocks the administration from imposing immigration-related conditions on certain grant programs.
