DELAWARE/MARYLAND -Attorneys general in Delaware and Maryland are celebrating a federal court victory that protects millions of dollars in public safety grants nationwide after a judge ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully attempted to tie federal law enforcement funding to state cooperation with immigration enforcement.
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings and Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown were among a multistate coalition of 22 attorneys general, joined by Pennsylvania's governor, that successfully challenged the restrictions.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. in Rhode Island declared the administration's actions unlawful and permanently blocked the federal government from implementing or enforcing the disputed immigration-related conditions on congressionally authorized grants.
The decision protects more than $1.1 million in funding for Delaware while also safeguarding Maryland programs supporting crime prevention, firearm safety, law enforcement and community outreach.
“This failed attempt to strip funding from law enforcement looks a lot like the countless other attempts by the Trump Administration to bully and harass our state,” said Jennings. “It was malicious, destructive, and poorly conceived – and now, it’s failed.”
Brown said the administration's policies threatened public safety programs by attempting to force states to take on additional immigration enforcement responsibilities.
“By threatening to pull funding from police and violence prevention programs, the Trump Administration risked Marylanders’ safety to pressure our State into doing Washington’s immigration work,” said Attorney General Brown. “This ruling secures the resources that keep Maryland law enforcement and the communities they serve safe from crime.”
The court fight highlights a broader disagreement between the Trump administration and Democratic-led states over immigration enforcement, public safety and control of federal funding.
The Trump administration has argued in related disputes that policies limiting cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement make it more difficult to identify, detain and remove people who are in the country illegally, particularly those accused or convicted of crimes.
The administration has also defended its ability, in other federal funding disputes, to establish lawful grant conditions designed to ensure that federal resources are used consistently with federal law.
