MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from withholding federal funding from so-called sanctuary cities Thursday.

Battle over federal immigration crackdown

The backstory:

The litigation comes after President Donald Trump’s executive order threatening to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities if they did not assist with the federal government’s deportation mandates.

As the title of the executive order reads, the Trump administration said the reason for this order is about public safety and “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.”

Both Minneapolis and St. Paul and more than a dozen cities joined the San Francisco v. Trump lawsuit in February.

Judge issues injunction

What they’re saying:

U.S. District Judge William Orrick issued the injunction Thursday and wrote the administration is prohibited from “directly or indirectly taking any action to withhold, freeze, or condition federal funds.” 

The federal judge said the Trump administration cannot threaten cities into complying with federal immigration enforcement pointing to merits likely violating the Constitution’s “separation of powers” and “the spending clause.”

An injunction was also ordered in 2017 in a similar situation.

What’s at stake

Why you should care:

What was at stake for the Twin Cities was millions of dollars in federal funding. Both cities said those funds were committed to critical initiatives including affordable housing and emergency response. 

Local perspective:

“Today’s court order stops the Trump administration from withholding funds from local governments like Minneapolis based on our policies limiting the use of city resources to assist with federal immigration enforcement. This is an important victory for the City of Minneapolis, where we continue to uphold our values and support our community members,” wrote Kristyn Anderson, Minneapolis City Attorney.

“What Donald Trump is doing is downright illegal. In Minneapolis, we stand with immigrant families – not just in words, but in court. We won’t be bullied into violating the Constitution or breaking the trust between our residents and their local government,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

“This ruling affirms what we’ve always known: the President cannot force city employees to serve as ICE agents,” said St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. “Our team will stay focused on our sacred responsibility—to provide exceptional public services for all of our residents.” 

What’s next

Timeline:

The administration must provide written notice of this order to all federal departments and agencies by Monday.

The Department of Justice is defending Trump’s policy. So, this case will likely be heard next in a court of appeals.