“These are local governments, large and small, in very different parts of the state and the nation, that are taking a stand against the federal government’s attempt to unconstitutionally commandeer local resources to assist with immigration enforcement,” said Santa Clary County counsel Tony LoPresti in a statement. “These are jurisdictions that believe in local governments’ right to ensure that their limited resources are used to care for communities rather than tear them apart.”
A coalition of sanctuary cities across the United States have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming that the White House has overstepped its authority by withholding funds from cities that don’t cooperate with federal immigration officers.
According to The Mercury News, the lawsuit was first filed on February 7 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The plaintiffs—including seven California cities as well as Minneapolis, Seattle, Santa Fe, and St. Paul—have asked the court to block an executive order that, if enforced, would withhold billions of dollars in federal funds from cities with sanctuary policies.
“These are local governments, large and small, in very different parts of the state and the nation, that are taking a stand against the federal government’s attempt to unconstitutionally commandeer local resources to assist with immigration enforcement,” said Santa Clary County counsel Tony LoPresti in a statement. “These are jurisdictions that believe in local governments’ right to ensure that their limited resources are used to care for communities rather than tear them apart.”
Aside from threatening to withhold federal funds, President Donald Trump has also suggested prosecuting local officials who don’t comply with his executive order. The Mercury News notes that the U.S. Department of Justice has already filed a lawsuit against Chicago, which the federal government accuses of violating immigration law.
Santa Clary and San Francisco, both in California, argued that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility that would burden local police departments.
Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose, said that “unfairly targeting cities based on ideology goes against the democratic values that created this country.””
“The truth is, our policies related to immigration enforcement mirror those in places like Dallas, Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina,” Mahan said in a statement. “And that’s because, whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican or anything in between, the fundamental responsibility of government is keeping people safe—and to unlawfully threaten to withhold funding for programs like DNA analysis and police equipment makes us all less safe.”
The mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, emphasized that local residents and businesses have already paid into the federal system—and should, therefore, be entitled to federal funds.
“We are taking action to ensure the continuity of local services that receive federal funding, but more importantly to preserve and protect the basic covenant that our residents and businesses who contribute millions in hard-earned tax dollars to our federal tax base have a right to benefit from the federal funding that they provide,” St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said in a press release. “We do not accept the proposal of this executive order unlawfully holding hostage federal funds as a ransom against an unlawful political demand.”
Sources
Bay Area cities sign onto ‘sanctuary city’ lawsuit against the Trump administration
San Jose, Oakland among cities joining San Francisco lawsuit against Trump sanctuary city crackdown
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