Judge blocks Trump conditions on state safety grants
A 23-state coalition led by Nevada won a permanent injunction against federal requirements linking immigration enforcement to public safety funds.
By Anthony Foster ·
A federal judge in Rhode Island has issued a permanent injunction blocking the Trump administration from tying immigration enforcement to public safety grants.
Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the District of Rhode Island declared the administration's actions unlawful. The ruling stops the government from implementing or enforcing the disputed conditions.
Nevada Attorney General and Governor-elect Aaron D. Ford led a coalition of 23 states in the lawsuit. He stated that public safety funding is intended to protect communities rather than serve as a political bargaining chip. Ford noted that the ruling protects resources that help keep Nevadans safe.
The dispute began when the administration restricted access to Victims of Crime Act funds. States were required to meet specific immigration demands to receive the money. The coalition successfully forced the federal government to remove those conditions from over 1.3 billion dollars in VOCA funds.
The Department of Justice subsequently applied similar conditions to new grants. These included funds dedicated to law enforcement and juvenile justice. The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Formula Grants were among the affected programs. That program has been the primary federal source of criminal justice funding for state and local governments for decades.
The lawsuit argued that civil immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility. The administration's attempts to coerce states conflicted with the separation of powers and federalism. The court found that the actions violated laws passed by Congress and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Ford joined attorneys general from California, Delaware, New Jersey, Illinois, Rhode Island, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania also participated in the case.
