New blow to presidency

Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants targeted

A US judge has blocked an executive order by President Donald Trump (right) that could deny billions of dollars to socalled sanctuary cities as punishment for harbouring illegal immigrants. Judge William Orrick issued a preliminary injunction barring any attempt to implement the order.

A US judge has blocked an executive order by President Donald Trump that could deny billions of dollars to socalled sanctuary cities as punishment for harbouring illegal immigrants.

Dealing a fresh setback to Mr Trump’s pledged crackdown on undocumented residents, Judge William Orrick of San Francisco’s federal court issued a preliminary injunction barring any attempt to implement the January 25 order.

“Federal funding that bears no meaningful relationship to immigration enforcement cannot be threatened merely because a jurisdiction chooses an immigration enforcement strategy of which the President disapproves,” he said.

The decision, which could affect more than 300 cities and counties that have denounced Mr Trump’s order, is another blow to the White House following successful court challenges to its two travel bans targeting Muslim countries.

Mr Trump’s order threatened the transfer of funds to Santa Clara County and San Francisco.

Santa Clara counsel James Williams described it as “a historic affirmation” that Washington cannot “coerce local governments into becoming immigration enforcers”.

Judge Orrick said the key issue remained Mr Trump’s repeated statements that funding is a “weapon” to use against cities that resist his policies.

That demonstrates the government’s intent, the judge said, and is unconstitutional.

Judge Orrick’s ruling still allows the Department of Justice to follow through with threats made to nine cities last week, allowing it to cut program grants if the cities did not co-operate with immigration officers.