President Trump got a huge win on Wednesday, states like California and New York are shaking in their boots; they are about to lose at least $25 million.
A federal appeals court is going to allow the Trump administration to deny grant money to states that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
In 2017, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Department of Justice would deny giving funds from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant program, which gives out $250 million a year to state and local criminal justice efforts to sanctuary cities.
The liberal states of New York, Washington, Massachusetts, and Connecticut sued the government and the US District Court for the Southern District of New York backed them – ordering that the administration may not withhold grants to sanctuary jurisdictions.
The appeals court rested on the power of the federal government’s job to enforce the border and immigration. The ruling said:
“These conditions help the federal government enforce national immigration laws and policies supported by successive Democratic and Republican administrations,” the court ruled. “But more to the authorization point, they ensure that applicants satisfy particular statutory grant requirements imposed by Congress and subject to Attorney General oversight.”
The ruling also slapped down the district court ruling stating that the Supreme Court ruling that the federal government maintains “broad” and “preeminent” power.
In a statement, a DOJ spokesman said, “Today’s decision rightfully recognizes the lawful authority of the Attorney General to ensure that Department of Justice grant recipients are not at the same time thwarting federal law enforcement priorities,” a DOJ spokesman said in a statement. “The grant conditions here require states and cities that receive DOJ grants to share information about criminals in custody. The federal government uses this information to enforce national immigration laws–policies supported by successive Democrat and Republican administrations.”
