Attorney General Becerra Secures Victory Against Trump Administration, Protecting $28.9 Million in Public Safety Funding for California

Monday, March 4, 2019
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

For the second consecutive year, Court grants Attorney General Becerra's motion preventing the imposition of immigration enforcement requirements on California's law enforcement grants

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today successfully obtained a court order preventing the Trump Administration from imposing immigration enforcement requirements on federal public safety grants that California receives. A court in the Northern District of California found that the Trump Administration’s attempt to impose immigration enforcement requirements on $28.9 million in law enforcement grants to California is unconstitutional and statutorily prohibited. The funding secured today will be used to fund crime reduction initiatives across California. The court also granted California's request for a nationwide injunction, which protects the funding Congress enacted for jurisdictions across the country, though the injunction will not have effect outside of California until the issue is considered by the appellate court.

“Enough is enough. Once again, the court blocked the Trump Administration’s attempt to condition critical law enforcement funds on our state doing the federal government’s job on immigration enforcement,” said Attorney General Becerra. “California is in the business of public safety, not immigration enforcement. The Trump Administration's reckless attempts to block funds to California unless it accepts the Administration's deportation scheme risks the safety of our communities and would hamper the work of our law enforcement. We will continue to fight to ensure law enforcement agencies in California have the necessary resources to promote public safety.”

BACKGROUND

Since August 2017, in California v. Sessions, Attorney General Becerra has challenged the federal government’s unlawful conditions on public safety funds. On August 14, 2017, Attorney General Becerra first challenged the federal government's imposition of immigration enforcement requirements on California's public safety grants. On October 5, 2018, the district court ruled in favor of California, holding that the federal government’s first set of immigration enforcement conditions on the 2017 JAG funds were unlawful and unconstitutional. Most recently, on August 23, 2018, Attorney General Becerra challenged the federal government’s imposition of unlawful immigration enforcement conditions on federal fiscal year 2018 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds. Today the court ruled that the federal government cannot require California and its local jurisdictions to comply with immigration enforcement requirements in order to receive $28.9 million in law enforcement grants.

A copy of the order is here.

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