The city of Denver is joining dozens of municipalities across the country in suing President Donald Trump and his administration over threats to withhold federal funding from cities with “sanctuary” policies that benefit immigrants.
The lawsuit alleges Trump has wrongfully tried to withhold federal money for cities that limit local interaction with federal immigration authorities.
The lawsuit was filed in Federal District Court in the Northern District of California earlier this week. Denver joins other cities like San Francisco, Seattle and Albuquerque in the lawsuit.
“Time and time again, Denver has showed that we enforce the law without fear or favor and work with federal authorities to bring criminals to justice. We will continue to stand up for what Denverites believe in and fight for the federal funding that our residents deserve,” Mayor Mike Johnston said in a statement.
The lawsuit argues the Trump administration is repeating actions previously struck down by federal courts during the president’s first term and infringing on cities’ rights to operate autonomously. Cities and municipalities are asking the court to strike down the orders as unconstitutional and invalid.
Since the first Trump term, Denver — and Colorado as a whole — has upheld laws that stop local law enforcement agencies from working withImmigration and Customs Enforcement. The city also has expanded protections for immigrants, launching a legal defense fund for undocumented residents, among other changes.
Denver has been among Trump’s most frequent targets after he took office again in January. The president has threatened hundreds of millions of federal funding promised to Denver, including reimbursement for emergency immigration shelters and money for public works projects.
In response, the city has filed four lawsuits — including this week’s— to preserve the funding threatened by the Trump administration.
