Bush Judge Blocks Trump Admin From Withholding Disaster Funds From Sanctuary States

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from withholding disaster relief funds from states that refuse to cooperate on immigration enforcement.

U.S. District Judge William Smith, appointed to the bench in Rhode Island by President George W. Bush, deemed it unconstitutional to require states to cooperate in federal immigration activities to receive disaster relief funding, according to court documents. The ruling comes months after a coalition of 20 state Democratic attorneys general sued the Trump administration over threats to withhold billions of dollars over sanctuary policies.

“Plaintiff States are entitled to injunctive relief,” Smith wrote in his ruling, issuing a permanent injunction against the Trump administration. “First, Plaintiff states have succeeded on the merits of their claims: the contested conditions are both arbitrary and capricious and unconstitutional.”

“Second, Plaintiff States stand to suffer irreparable harm; the effect of the loss of emergency and disaster funds cannot be recovered later, and the downstream effect on disaster response and public safety are real and not compensable,” the federal judge continued, calling the administration’s directive “coercive, ambiguous” and accusing it of undermining the system of federalism.

{snip}

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem previously directed her department’s sub-agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to cease federal funding to sanctuary cities. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a letter in May informing states that recipients of transportation funding must comply with federal law.

“Federal grants come with a clear obligation to adhere to federal laws,” Duffy said to states at the time. {snip}

{snip}