Federal judge halts Trump's plan to cut funding for sanctuary states that refuse to cooperate

A federal judge successful Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction connected Thursday, blocking the Trump medication from denying national proscription funds to states that bash not cooperate with migration enforcement authorities.

Twenty Democratic-led states brought a suit against President Donald Trump’s administration, challenging a caller Department of Transportation (DOT) argumentation of withholding oregon terminating national backing to immoderate authorities oregon section authorities that does not comply with immigration-enforcement policies.

During Trump’s archetypal time successful office, helium issued a sweeping enforcement bid that would contradict national funds to "so-called sanctuary jurisdictions."

U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr. issued the preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s efforts connected Thursday, saying it is "unconstitutional and/or unlawful" due to the fact that it violates the Administrative Procedure Act.

ICE-AVERSE STATES WON’T GET ‘ONE RED CENT’ FROM FEDS TO REBUILD INFRASTRUCTURE, SECRETARY DUFFY WARNS

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), agents detain an migrant successful Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)

McConnell besides said the Trump administration’s enactment is ultra vires – oregon done beyond one’s ineligible authorization – and exceeds Congress’s powers nether the Spending Clause.

Under the preliminary injunction, the Trump medication is "prohibited from implementing oregon enforcing the Immigration Enforcement Condition arsenic acceptable distant successful the Duffy Directive," McConnell wrote.

He besides said the defendants are "prohibited from withholding oregon terminating national backing based connected the Immigration Enforcement Condition arsenic acceptable distant successful the Duffy Directive absent circumstantial statutory authorization."

FEDERAL JUDGE PARTIALLY BLOCKS TRUMP'S EFFORT TO DENY FUNDING TO PRO-DEI PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy testifies during a proceeding earlier the House Appropriations Committee successful the Rayburn House Office Building connected May 14, 2025, successful Washington, DC. Duffy testified earlier the Subcommittee connected Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies connected the Transportation Department's projected 2026 fiscal twelvemonth budget. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

"Defendants are prohibited from taking adverse enactment against immoderate authorities entity oregon section jurisdiction, including barring it from receiving oregon making it ineligible for national funding, based connected the Immigration Enforcement Condition, absent circumstantial statutory authorization," the ruling continued. "The Court forbids and enjoins immoderate effort to instrumentality the Immigration Enforcement Condition, and immoderate actions by the Defendants to instrumentality oregon enforce the Immigration Enforcement Condition."

Fox News Digital has reached retired to the White House for remark connected the matter.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, adjacent this week, has warned "rogue authorities actors" who bash not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and national migration enforcement that they whitethorn beryllium connected the hook to cleanable up their ain mess.

FEDERAL JUDGE DECLARES TRUMP ADMIN BLOCKING FEDERAL MONEY FROM SANCTUARY CITIES UNCONSTITUTIONAL

President Donald Trump (Bill Pugliano via Getty Images)

Most recently, Duffy directed his comments toward California officials who person distanced themselves from migration enforcement portion riots and protests proceed to interruption retired successful places similar Los Angeles.

Duffy has suggested governmental leaders enactment amended with the Trump administration.

"The USDOT volition not money rogue authorities actors who garbage to cooperate with national migration enforcement," Duffy said Monday. "And to cities that basal by portion rioters destruct proscription infrastructure — don’t expect a reddish cent from DOT, either."

Duffy said successful April that national grants travel with the work to adhere to national law.

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"It shouldn’t beryllium arguable – enforce our migration rules, extremity anti-American DEI policies, and support escaped speech. These values bespeak the priorities of the American people, and I volition instrumentality enactment to guarantee compliance," helium said.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.