SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge in San Francisco has blocked a Trump administration order to withhold funding from communities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities.
U.S. District Judge William Orrick issued the temporary ruling Tuesday in a lawsuit over the executive order targeting so-called sanctuary cities. The decision will stay in place while the lawsuit moves through court.
In Connecticut, officials have said Hartford and New Haven are sanctuary cities. Gov. Malloy released the following statement Tuesday regarding the court’s ruling:
“Once again, the federal court gets it right on the facts where the Trump administration gets it woefully wrong. There is ample court precedent that clearly outlines what the federal government can and cannot do with respect to the withholding of funds to state and local jurisdictions. Although our state is fully compliant with federal laws cited in this executive order and not under threat of losing funding, we are relieved nonetheless that justice prevailed and that rights enshrined in the constitution were upheld.”
The Republican president’s administration and two California governments that sued over the order disagreed about its scope.
San Francisco and Santa Clara County argued that it threatened billions of dollars in federal funding.
But an attorney for the Justice Department, Chad Readler, said at a recent court hearing that it applied to a limited set of grants.
Readler said less than $1 million was at stake nationally and possibly no San Francisco funding.
