In an effort to get sanctuary cities to abide by the new federal immigration laws, Trump’s administration issued an order to block funding to these cities if they couldn’t prove that they weren’t breaking the law.
Local courts have fired back by blocking this order and President Donald Trump has made it clear he is ready for a legal battle.
“First the Ninth Circuit rules against the ban & now it hits again on sanctuary cities-both ridiculous rulings. See you in the Supreme Court!” tweeted Trump early Wednesday morning.
“Out of our very big country, with many choices, does everyone notice that both the “ban” case and now the “sanctuary” case is brought in … …the Ninth Circuit, which has a terrible record of being overturned (close to 80%). They used to call this “judge shopping!” Messy system.”
“Failure to comply with this condition could result in the withholding of grant funds, suspension or termination of the grant, ineligibility for future [Office of Justice] grants or subgrants, or other action, as appropriate,” wrote Alan Harten, Assistant Attorney General in the letter to local officials warning them to comply with the federal government’s immigration policies.
Federal Judge William Orrick ruled Tuesday in favor of the the city of San Francisco, Santa Clara County, and other sanctuary areas in the country stating that the threat to withhold federal funding in response to immigration enforcement could be unconstitutional.
Orrick ruled that federal funding “bears no meaningful relationship to immigration enforcement” and “cannot be threatened merely because a jurisdiction chooses an immigration enforcement strategy of which the president disapproves.”
Many disagree with the court’s ruling.
Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City Mayor condemned these sanctuary cities while on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“You cannot have everybody deciding which laws they should obey. The law is the law,” said Bloomberg. “You should obey the law and if you don’t like the law, get your legislative body to change the law. But society breaks down if we can all decide what’s right and what’s wrong. Can’t do that. We have a system of laws. Have to live with it.”
Trump’s administration also released an official statement condemning the recent rulings.
“Once again, a single district judge – this time in San Francisco – has ignored Federal immigration law to set a new immigration policy for the entire country. This decision occurred in the same sanctuary city that released the 5-time deported illegal immigrant who gunned down innocent Kate Steinle in her father’s arms,” wrote the Office of the Press Secretary. “San Francisco, and cities like it, are putting the well-being of criminal aliens before the safety of our citizens, and those city officials who authored these policies have the blood of dead Americans on their hands.”
“It’s another example of how the Ninth Circuit went bananas,” said Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff, to reporters late Tuesday. “It will be overturned.”
Author’s note: With the new appointment of Justice Neil Gorsuch, a conservative, the Supreme Court is on Trump’s side, so to speak. So, the Trump administration should be confident that the Supreme Court will overturn the ruling. But, this is getting much messier than expected. It’s never a good thing when local and federal governments clash like this. But the truth is, these sanctuary cities are too focus on protecting illegal immigrants instead of their law-abiding citizens.
Editor’s note: We are now hearing calls for breaking up the 9th circuit court, where all of these political rulings are coming from.