A federal judge ruled against two sanctuary cities this week, ensuring President Donald Trump can move forward with blocking certain Department of Justice (DOJ) grants to such jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Earlier this year, Trump signed two executive orders, both designed to get sanctuary cities to cooperate with ICE as they enforce federal immigration law — or risk losing certain federal funds.
Soon after Trump signed the executive orders, the sanctuary cities of Chelsea and Somerville, Massachusetts, filed a lawsuit claiming they would suffer irreparable harm if the orders took effect.
On Thursday, Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton sided with the Trump administration and against the sanctuary cities.
“This Court acknowledges the nuances and complex relationships that characterize the administration of municipalities and how they prioritize constituent services,” Gorton writes in his ruling:
Those complexities notwithstanding, the Cities still bear the burden of demonstrating to this Court how it is not just possible, but likely, that without injunctive relief, they will suffer imminent and irreparable harm. Plaintiffs have not done so. [Emphasis added]
For the foregoing reasons, plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction against defendants is DENIED. [Emphasis added]
Dale Wilcox with the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which filed a brief in the case, said sanctuary cities continue to refuse to cooperate with ICE and have sought out the courts in an attempt to block Trump’s fierce immigration agenda.
In this case, Wilcox said, that initiative has failed.
“Rather than simply comply with federal law and the Constitution, these cities have run to court to keep the money flowing even as they go on breaking the law,” Wilcox said. “But the administration’s pressure on these cities to obey the law is not an injury a court can recognize. We are pleased the court clearly saw that there was no imminent irreparable harm here, and denied the injunction.”
The case is City of Chelsea v. Trump, No. 1:25-cv-10442 in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter here.
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