A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot cut funding to 34 cities and counties due to their sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. U.S. District Judge William Orrick issued the ruling on Friday, extending a preliminary injunction that prevents the administration from withholding federal funds or imposing conditions on their use.

This ruling affects major cities such as Boston, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles, as well as others like San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, which were previously protected under an earlier order. The judge's decision comes amid increased pressure from the Trump administration on sanctuary jurisdictions as part of a broader effort to enforce immigration laws and remove undocumented individuals from the country.

President Donald Trump had issued an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to withhold federal funding from these jurisdictions. Another order mandated that all federal agencies ensure that payments to state and local governments do not support policies that protect undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Cities and counties that have challenged these funding cuts argue that billions of dollars in federal funding are at stake. The Justice Department has also initiated lawsuits against several cities, including New York and Los Angeles, over their sanctuary policies.

In May, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a list of over 500 jurisdictions deemed noncompliant with the administration's directives. Each of these jurisdictions was to receive formal notification regarding their status. However, the list was later removed from the DHS website after it was revealed that it included areas that actively support the administration's immigration policies.

Judge Orrick characterized the administration's actions as a "coercive threat" and ruled them unconstitutional. He noted that the administration's only argument against the injunction was that the initial ruling was incorrect, which they raised in their appeal.

Sanctuary cities generally refer to localities that limit their cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is responsible for enforcing immigration laws across the country. ICE often relies on state and local authorities to help identify and detain individuals wanted for deportation.