PROVIDENCE, R.I. — In a significant legal victory for a coalition of 12 attorneys general, a federal judge has blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to divert Homeland Security funding from states declared as 'sanctuary' jurisdictions. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy, restores more than $233 million in federal grants that were initially set to be withheld from Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
The judge's decision came after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced substantial funding cuts that were unjustly punitive against states refusing to assist federal authorities with immigration enforcement.
This ruling follows a separate case where another federal judge determined that requiring states' cooperation with immigration actions to access FEMA disaster funding was unconstitutional.
In her 48-page ruling, McElroy indicated that the federal government's assessment of states' immigration policies in relation to funding allocation was both arbitrary and capricious, stating, “Neither a law degree nor a degree in mathematics is required to deduce that no plausible, rational formula could produce this result.”
As a direct response to the unlawful funding cuts, the judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security to restore the previously announced grants to the affected states.
Judge McElroy further emphasized the importance of these funds for vital counterterrorism and law enforcement programs, especially in the wake of a tragic shooting incident at Brown University where two students lost their lives. She criticized the cuts as a politically motivated abuse of power, risking the safety and preparedness of communities by withholding essential funding.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell heralded the ruling as a crucial victory, asserting, “This victory ensures that the Trump Administration cannot punish states that refuse to help carry out its cruel immigration agenda, particularly by denying them lifesaving funding that helps prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies.”
