Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration Threat to Strip Oregon of Sanctuary Funds

The Trump administration’s threat of withholding federal funds from sanctuary states, counties, and cities shielding ‘illegal aliens from deportation’ has been dismissed by a federal judge.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge William Orrick extended a preliminary injunction that blocks the government from imposing funding freezes or setting conditions to qualify for federal funding if they fail to cooperate with President Donald Trump’s pledge to rid the U.S. of illegal immigrants.

Judge Orrick ruled that the Trump administration cannot deny funding because of sanctuary policies that do not comply with the government’s immigration enforcement laws.

This ruling by the government affects Oregon’s sanctuary status and that of its sanctuary city, Portland.

U.S. Attorney General Threatened to Withhold Federal Funding from Oregon

Oregon has come under pressure in recent days as Attorney General Pamela Bondi has threatened to withhold federal funding for failure to adhere to immigration laws.

One of the orders directs federal agencies not to release funds to state and local governments that ‘abet sanctuary policies that seek to shield illegal aliens from deportation.’

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek responded to U.S. Attorney General Bondi’s threats by pointing out that the state was not in violation of either its own or federal laws with regard to its policies concerning immigrant residents.

She also promised to uphold the state’s sanctuary policies and to protect all of its residents, American or otherwise.

Portland has also attracted a lot of media coverage following a protest outside its courthouse, where several immigrants seeking asylum were arrested by ICE agents as they left the courtrooms. A 24/7 protest group is encamped outside the courthouse.