Eleven Jurisdictions Join Santa Clara County and San Francisco in Lawsuit Against Unlawful Threats from the Trump Administration

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. – An amended complaint filed Thursday evening added 11 jurisdictions as plaintiffs in a lawsuit spearheaded by the County of Santa Clara and San Francisco that challenges Trump Administration actions that violate the Constitution by taking harmful actions against jurisdictions that have so-called “sanctuary” policies.

Joining the lawsuit are the California cities of San José, San Diego, Oakland, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Emeryville, and the County of Monterey; Minnesota cities Minneapolis and St. Paul; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Seattle, Washington. In addition to the County of Santa Clara and San Francisco, the initial lawsuit included the City of Portland, Oregon; the City of New Haven, Connecticut; and King County, Washington.

“These are local governments, large and small, in very different parts of the state and the nation, that are taking a stand against the Federal government’s attempt to unconstitutionally commandeer local resources to assist with immigration enforcement,” said County of Santa Clara County Counsel Tony LoPresti. “These are jurisdictions that believe in local governments’ right to ensure that their limited resources are used to care for communities rather than tear them apart.” 

The lawsuit, initially filed on February 7, involves jurisdictional policies that prohibit the use of local resources to aid federal immigration officials in carrying out civil immigration enforcement. These non-cooperation policies focus local resources on local priorities such as providing services to vulnerable populations and carrying out traditional law enforcement activity to protect local public safety. They prohibit the federal government’s commandeering of local government resources to carry out civil immigration enforcement, which is a federal responsibility. The courts have repeatedly upheld local governments’ Constitutional right to choose a policy of non-cooperation. These policies in no way prevent the federal government from using its own resources to enforce federal immigration laws.

Since the lawsuit was filed, the Trump Administration has doubled down on its tactics, issuing a second Executive Order targeting jurisdictions by directing executive departments and agencies to ensure that “Federal payments to States and localities do not … abet so-called ‘sanctuary’ policies.” In addition, the Department of Justice has filed lawsuits against states and localities with such policies in place, asserting an unlawful and unprecedented interpretation of the federal government’s authority over local government resources.

San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said the administration’s current actions mirror those seen in 2017.

“Once again, the federal government is illegally asserting rights it does not have,” said Chiu. “They want to commandeer local law enforcement, while strong-arming local officials with threats of defunding or prosecution. Their actions are illegal and authoritarian, and we believe they will again be found unconstitutional and unenforceable.” 

During the first Trump Administration, the County of Santa Clara and San Francisco sued the federal government after the federal administration attempted to withhold federal funds from the County based on its non-cooperation policies. In that matter and subsequent cases, federal district courts and the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with the County that the conditions the Trump Administration attempted to place on federal funding were unconstitutional and that County policies complied with federal laws.

“Our constitutional system of government prescribes different roles for the federal government from those of states and local governments — it is part of the foundational framework that forms the fabric of our country. This lawsuit at its core is about preserving local autonomy,” said County of Santa Clara County Executive James R. Williams. “We are pleased that there are so many other local jurisdictions ready to join our fight and to stand in solidarity against an administration that is intent on shredding that fabric and trampling the rights of states, localities, and individuals.”

The lawsuit and amendment were filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The full complaint is available at https://files.santaclaracounty.gov/exjcpb1346/2025-02/22_2025-02-27-first-amended-complaint.pdf?VersionId=OvnGp50EsZtCt_bbjH54q8n5OzW6jQL7 

ABOUT THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA 
The County of Santa Clara serves a diverse, multicultural population of 1.9 million residents in Santa Clara County, Calif., making it more populous than 12 states in the United States. The County provides essential services to its residents, including public health protection, environmental stewardship, medical services through the County of Santa Clara Health System, child and adult protection services, homelessness prevention and solutions, roads, park services, libraries, emergency response to disasters, protection of minority communities and those under threat, access to a fair criminal justice system, and many other public benefits.

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