More than a dozen cities and counties in California have joined a federal lawsuit filed last month by San Francisco and Santa Clara counties challenging the Trump Administration’s efforts to compel local jurisdictions to cooperate with immigration enforcement.
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu initially said he anticipated that other jurisdictions around the state would join the suit. So far, the cities of Oakland, Emeryville, San Jose and Santa Cruz have also joined the legal challenge, as well as other cities and counties around the nation.
The Trump administration has threatened to withhold federal funding to jurisdictions that do not work proactively with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in identifying and helping arrest undocumented residents.
In a press release, Chui accused the Trump administration of “illegally asserting rights they do not have.” He added that the Trump administration’s policies were “illegal and authoritarian” and would ultimately be found to be “unconstitutional.”
The case is being held in the District Court for the Northern District of California.
