US judge blocks Trump sanctuary city funding cuts attempts
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A US federal judge expanded an injunction blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to cut funding to sanctuary cities, protecting major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston from immigration-related funding conditions.
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President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office in the White House on August 22, 2025. (AP)
A US federal judge has halted the Trump administration’s effort to strip federal funding from sanctuary cities and counties, a ruling that protects dozens of jurisdictions across the country.District Judge William Orrick ruled on Friday that the administration cannot withhold federal funds from cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The expanded ruling now includes major cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Baltimore, Denver, and Albuquerque, in addition to San Francisco, Sacramento, Minneapolis, and Seattle, which were already covered under his April decision.
In his judgment, Orrick said the administration did not oppose extending the injunction, though it maintained that the initial order was flawed and is under appeal. He also barred federal officials from imposing immigration-related conditions on two specific grant programs.
Trump’s order on sanctuary jurisdictions
Shortly after taking office in January, former President Donald Trump directed his administration to block federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions, arguing that such policies obstructed immigration enforcement. Weeks later, he issued a follow-up order instructing that federal funds should not support what he described as “illegal immigration.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed this stance, announcing that the Justice Department would withhold grants from sanctuary cities, claiming that they hindered law enforcement and made it harder for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to apprehend undocumented immigrants, including those accused of violent crimes.
Wave of legal challenges
The administration’s attempt to pressure sanctuary cities sparked a wave of lawsuits nationwide. Most recently, 20 states filed suit against the Justice Department over conditions placed on crime victim grants, arguing that the measures unlawfully tied funding to immigration enforcement.
The ruling marks another major setback for the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, ensuring that federal funding remains accessible to local governments that choose not to cooperate with ICE detainer requests or other immigration-related demands.
