Nationwide legal challenge grows: 34 more local governments join lawsuit to stop Trump’s illegal immigration coercion.

Baltimore, Boston, Columbus, Denver, Los Angeles, Rochester are among 50 plaintiffs now fighting back.

OAKLAND, CA — Cities and counties across the country are stepping up to defend their communities against the Trump administration’s unconstitutional policies. An additional 34 local governments have joined the lawsuit San Francisco v. Trump, bringing the total number of plaintiffs to 50. The case challenges the administration’s efforts to punish so-called sanctuary jurisdictions by using unrelated federal funding as leverage to enforce unlawful immigration policy. Together, the plaintiffs represent more than 28 million residents across the country. 

The coalition is led by the City and County of San Francisco and Santa Clara County, Calif., with Public Rights Project serving as co-counsel for numerous local governments in the case. They are partnering with cities and counties across the country to defend their ability to govern without unlawful federal interference.

With limited resources for cities and states, local leaders are best positioned to decide how to use them to keep communities safe. Many have adopted policies that prioritize local public safety over federal immigration enforcement. However, the Trump administration issued executive orders threatening to cut off funding and directed the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute officials who don’t conduct the work of federal immigration authorities.

“These unlawful executive orders are fear tactics — plain and simple,” said Jill Habig, founder and CEO of Public Rights Project. “The Trump administration is asserting power it doesn’t have to coerce compliance with its extreme federal deportation agenda. We need to ignore the bluster and pay attention to facts: sanctuary policies make us all safer and ensure communities are welcoming places for everyone.”

The lawsuit argues that forcing local governments to aid in federal immigration enforcement violates the 10th Amendment, which protects states’ rights to govern their own affairs. It also cites the constitutional principle of separation of powers, which prevents one branch or level of government from overstepping its authority and interfering with the functions of another.

The amended complaint includes evidence highlighting the importance of federal funding for providing and maintaining public services at the local level. In Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, for example, $850,000 in federal funding is at risk after the administration identified the county as a sanctuary jurisdiction. Although the administration later took down its list of sanctuary jurisdictions, the county is unsure if it will actually receive this critical funding earmarked for the police department, sexual assault kit processing, violence prosecution and prevention, and opioid addiction treatment.

The new plaintiffs are:

• Alameda County, Calif.
• Albany, NY
• Albuquerque, N. Mex.
• Allegheny County, Penn.
• Baltimore, Md.
• Benicia, Calif.
• Bend, Ore.
• Berkeley, Calif.
• Boston, Mass.
• Cambridge, Mass.
• Cathedral City, Calif.
• Chicago, Ill.
• Columbus, Ohio
• Culver City, Calif.
• Dane County, Wis.
• Denver, Colo.
• Healdsburg, Calif.
• Hennepin County, Minn.
• Los Angeles, Calif.
• Marin County, Calif.
• Menlo Park, Calif.
• Multnomah County, Ore.
• Pacifica, Calif.
• Palo Alto, Calif.
• Petaluma, Calif.
• Pierce County, Wash.
• Richmond, Calif.
• Rochester, NY
• Rohnert Park, Calif.
• San Mateo County, Calif.
• Santa Rosa, Calif.
• Sonoma County, Calif.
• Watsonville, Calif.
• Wilsonville, Ore.

The jurisdictions that were already part of the case are:

• City and County of San Francisco, Calif.
• Santa Clara County, Calif.
• Emeryville, Calif.
• King County, Wash.
• Minneapolis, Minn.
• Monterey County, Calif.
• New Haven, Conn.
• Oakland, Calif.
• Portland, Ore.
• Sacramento, Calif.
• San Diego, Calif.
• San Jose, Calif.
• Santa Cruz, Calif.
• Santa Fe, N.M.
• Seattle, Wash.
• St. Paul, Minn.

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About Public Rights Project
As a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, Public Rights Project helps local government officials fight for civil rights. We do this by building their capacity to protect and advance civil rights, convening and connecting them on issues of civil rights, and providing legal representation to governments to help them win in court on behalf of their residents. Since our founding, we’ve built a network of over 1,300 partners, including elected officials and 227 government offices across all 50 states, and helped recover over $46 million in relief for marginalized people. www.publicrightsproject.org