The Trump administration has been temporarily blocked from imposing controversial conditions on over $350 million in federal grants to 29 local governments in California, Washington, and Arizona.
This year, President Trump signed an executive order requiring recipients of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grants to support federal immigration enforcement efforts, stop providing benefits to undocumented immigrants, and eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs. To receive the funds, jurisdictions would also have to agree to support any future executive orders.
The grants in question are used for emergency and disaster preparedness and are critical to residents’ safety, local governments say. Some of the affected jurisdictions — including Santa Clara County, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego — sued the administration on September 30.
On Friday, November 21, U.S. District Court Judge William H. Orrick issued a preliminary injunction order preventing the Trump administration from imposing the new conditions. The judge agreed that the stipulations were most likely unlawful.
“As local governments, we take our responsibility seriously to protect all members of the community from the ravages of disaster, no matter their politics,” said Santa Clara County Counsel Tony LoPresti in response to the decision. “We are grateful for the Court’s recognition that the Trump administration’s political agenda has no role to play in the funding that Congress appropriates every year for emergency response and recovery. Governments shouldn’t have to pass a political litmus test to be able to care for their communities, especially in the face of a disaster.”
“Emergency management is the backbone of safe and resilient communities, and threatening its funding puts real lives at risk,” added San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu. “This funding means faster emergency response times, stronger regional coordination, and better protection for our residents during disasters and terrorist attacks. The federal government’s politically motivated grant conditions demonstrate both a disregard for our Constitution and the well-being of our residents. We appreciate the Court ruled in our favor and blocked this unlawful overreach.”
Oakland City Attorney Ryan Richardson called the court’s decision “a relief.”
“This is an important signal to this administration that it cannot hold essential funding for our first responders hostage to its ideological whims,” Richardson remarked. “Like all Californians, Oaklanders pay into the federal system, and we are pleased to know our fair share of those resources will be returned to our community.”
On the same day that Judge Orrick issued the injunction, a judge in Chicago handed down a similar ruling blocking the administration from imposing new conditions on over $100 million in DHS grants to New York, Boston and several other cities.
Read more about Judge Orrick’s decision here.