Photo by Associated Press
Earlier today, a federal judge in San Francisco blocked the Trump administration's efforts to withhold funding from sanctuary jurisdictions, which refuse to act as an arm of federal immigration officials by detaining non-criminal immigrants. The decision was in response to lawsuits filed by the County of Santa Clara and City of San Francisco.
The Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, along with pro bono co-counsel at Cooley LLP, filed two amici curiae briefs in the matter, on behalf of dozens of nonprofit organizations and associations throughout California, supporting Santa Clara County's and San Francisco's motions for preliminary injunction. An amicus curiae is a brief filed with the court by someone who is not a party to the case.
Funding cuts to sanctuary jurisdictions would endanger programs that provide preventive health care, meals for seniors, HIV/AIDS assistance, domestic violence services and mental health treatment, putting vulnerable individuals and the community at large at risk.
"This order is an important step to making sure that our neighbors who are immigrants feel safe in accessing important health and human services that are provided by local governments and nonprofit agencies," Law Foundation Directing Attorney Kyra Kazantzis said. "It also ensures that nonprofit organizations providing these key safety net services can continue to further their community service missions without fear of losing important federal funding."