Trump Admin Withholding FEMA Funds From ‘Sanctuary’ States Is Illegal, Federal Judge Rules

The judge ruled that the restrictions on funding are ‘arbitrary and capricious’ and violate the Constitution’s spending clause.

People walk past a Federal Emergency Management Agency sign following a news conference at the Altadena Disaster Recovery Center in Altadena, Calif., following the Eaton fire on Jan. 30, 2025. Mario Tama/Getty Images

A district court on Sept. 24 blocked the Trump administration’s policy of withholding emergency grant funds from so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that have been refusing to cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement.

The lawsuit, Illinois v. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.