LOS ANGELES, (MILLAT ONLINE/APP/AFP) – A US judge on
Friday heard arguments from lawyers representing two so-called sanctuary cities that are challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order stripping such jurisdictions of federal funds.
The outcome of the high-profile case in US District Court in San Francisco could impact more than 300 cities and counties across the United States that have denounced as unconstitutional Trump’s order to withhold funds from cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration agents.
The federal judge in the case, William Orrick, said he would issue his decision “as soon as I can” after he heard arguments from lawyers representing San Francisco and Santa Clara County.
Both jurisdictions have sued the administration and are seeking an
injunction against Trump’s order which calls for money to be taken away from
local governments that refuse to share information with federal authorities
about undocumented immigrants.
The case bears similarities to the court challenges faced by the Trump administration over its two travel bans targeting Muslim-majority countries.
Santa Clara officials say the county stands to lose nearly $1.7 billion in federal funds because of the executive order aimed at sanctuary jurisdictions.
San Francisco receives up to $2 billion a year in federal funding.
Lawyers for the Trump administration told the judge on Friday that neither jurisdiction was at immediate risk of losing the federal funding, adding that the order was simply aimed at coercing them to comply with immigration laws.