A coalition of U.S. cities and counties filed a lawsuit Friday challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at forcing so-called sanctuary jurisdictions to comply with his immigration crackdown.
The lawsuit, led by San Francisco and Santa Clara County in California, argues that the administration is unlawfully pressuring local officials by threatening to cut funding and prosecute those who do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
“This is the federal government coercing local officials to bend to their will or face defunding or prosecution,” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, a Democrat, said in a statement. “That is illegal and authoritarian.”
Other local governments, including Portland, Oregon; New Haven, Connecticut; and King County, Washington, also joined the lawsuit.
The legal challenge follows a Thursday Justice Department lawsuit against Illinois and Chicago. The DOJ accused the state and city of unlawfully interfering with federal immigration enforcement and sought a court order blocking their sanctuary laws.
Fight over sanctuary policies intensifies
Sanctuary laws prevent local law enforcement from assisting federal civil immigration officers. Supporters argue such policies encourage undocumented immigrants to report crimes without fear of deportation.
Trump’s executive order threatens to cut off federal funding for cities and states that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The lawsuit also challenges recent Justice Department memos, including one from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on February 5, instructing prosecutors to investigate officials obstructing immigration enforcement.
The legal battle over sanctuary jurisdictions is expected to escalate as the courts weigh Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.
