A federal judge in California has blocked the Trump administration from withholding federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions, claiming in a Thursday ruling that doing so would be “unconstitutional.” This, after more than a dozen self-declared “sanctuary” counties and cities filed a joint lawsuit against the administration in February for threatening the freeze of funds.
US District Judge William H. Orrick of the Northern District of California ruled that Trump’s executive order instructing federal officials to strip funding from sanctuary jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal immigration law would violate the separation of powers principles and the Spending Clause of the United States Constitution, according to court filings.
“The Cities and Counties have demonstrated a likelihood of irreparable harm,” the judge said. “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.”
Judge Orrick, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, ruled that two of Trump’s executive orders violated the Fifth Amendment “to the extent they are unconstitutionally vague and violate due process.” These orders are the “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” and “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open