Judge rules for Philly in 'Sanctuary City' case

Source: The Philadelphia Inquire




Updated: NOVEMBER 15, 2017 — 12:19 PM EST

by Jeff Gammage, Staff Writer @JeffGammage | jgammage@phillynews.com
A federal judge has granted Philadelphia officials an injunction against the Trump administration, blocking the federal government’s attempt to withhold law-enforcement money from so-called sanctuary cities.

U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson issued a massive 128-page ruling Wednesday, writing that after applying the requisite proof for a preliminary injunction, which includes probability of success on the merits and the public interest, “the court will issue a preliminary injunction in favor of the city.”

The ruling comes two weeks after Baylson declared from the bench that the city of Philadelphia substantially complied with the Trump administration’s conditions.

At the heart of the case is a relatively small amount of money — a $1.5 million federal grant to a city with a $4.4 billion budget — but a big principle: whether the Trump administration can withhold money unless the city agrees to more actively help federal agents identify and arrest people who immigrated without appropriate documents.



Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/judge-baylson-sanctuary-city-sessions-philadelphia-20171115.html