A collection of local governments, including the city of Portland, intend to sue the Trump administration on Friday to overturn the executive order that targets sanctuary cities.
The action is a reaction to actions taken by President Donald Trump and his administration against municipalities and communities who cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The lawsuit will contest a recent executive order issued by Trump that aims to prevent sanctuary cities and jurisdictions from receiving federal funding.
Since 2017, Portland has been designated as a sanctuary city. That year, the Portland City Council issued a resolution declaring that, unless mandated by law, neither city funds nor employees shall be utilized to support federal immigration enforcement.
We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all residents of Portland as a sanctuary city, Mayor Keith Wilson stated in a statement on Friday. We oppose the federal government’s efforts to cut off funding for our city’s infrastructure, public safety, and other vital services. We are ready to argue in court that Portland has a duty to protect our values and state laws.
The City and County of San Francisco and Santa Clara County, California, are spearheading the lawsuit. It will be submitted to the Northern District of California U.S. District Court.
It follows a lawsuit filed Thursday by the U.S. Justice Department that challenges Chicago’s and Illinois’s illegal immigrant protection legislation.
Trump also took action to stop sanctuary communities from receiving federal assistance during his previous administration. Several panels of appeals courts, even ones made up entirely of Republican appointees, decided that the executive branch lacked the authority to overrule congressional financing decisions.
This story may be updated since it is breaking news.
Jamie Goldberg is in charge of covering homelessness, education, and politics for The Oregonian/OregonLive. You can contact her at 503-221-8228 or [email protected]. She can be reached on Bluesky at @jamiebgoldberg.bsky.social or on X at @jamiebgoldberg.
