A federal judge in California blocked the Trump administration from cutting federal funding to “sanctuary” cities.
US District Judge William Orrick on Thursday issued an injunction against the White House after San Francisco and other cities that shield illegal immigrants from deportation filed a lawsuit. From The Associated Press.
Orrick wrote that defendants are prohibited “from directly or indirectly taking any action to withhold, freeze, or condition federal funds” and the administration must provide written notice of his order to all federal departments and agencies by Monday.
One executive order issued by Trump directs Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to withhold federal money to sanctuary jurisdictions. The second order directs every federal agency to ensure that payments to state and local governments do not “abet so-called ‘sanctuary’ policies that seek to shield illegal aliens from deportation.”
At a hearing Wednesday, Justice Department lawyers argued that it was much too early for the judge to grant an injunction when the government had not taken any action to withhold specific amounts or to lay out conditions on specific grants.
But Orrick, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, said this was essentially what government lawyers argued during Trump’s first term when the Republican issued a similar order.
“Their well-founded fear of enforcement is even stronger than it was in 2017,” Orrick wrote, citing the executive orders as well as directives from Bondi, other federal agencies and Justice Department lawsuits filed against Chicago and New York.
San Francisco successfully challenged the 2017 Trump order and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the lower court that the president exceeded his authority when he signed an executive order threatening to cut funding for “sanctuary cities.”
BREAKING: Federal judge William Orrick (Obama appointee) in California has blocked the Trump administration from terminating federal funds for sanctuary jurisdictions. He writes in part:
“The Cities and Counties have also demonstrated a likelihood of irreparable harm. The threat…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) April 24, 2025
The judge further argued that Trump’s executive order violated the Fifth Amendment “to the extent they are unconstitutionally vague and violate due process.”
Orrick noted that “The Cities and Counties have also demonstrated a likelihood of irreparable harm.”
This is the latest in a series of court rulings against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. US District Judge James Boasberg has been locked in a legal battle with the administration over its invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants – many of whom are suspected of being gang members. The judge recently indicated he would initiate contempt proceedings against the White House over its refusal to abide by his ruling.
The Supreme Court recently placed a temporary block on Trump’s deportation of Venezuelan illegal immigrants.
Judge Deborah Boardman issued a preliminary injunction against the administration’s executive order banning birthright citizenship. She argued that it violated the 14th Amendment.
As of April 22, at least 98 court rulings have blocked or temporarily halted President Trump’s initiatives. Most of these involved immigration policy, but others centered on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative and other policies.
