San Francisco, CA – The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today ruled that San Francisco’s sanctuary ordinance is lawful and concluded that the Trump administration’s attempt to deny federal funding to the City is unconstitutional.

“Here in San Francisco, we will always demonstrate our values of diversity and inclusiveness by being a sanctuary city that stands up for all our residents and neighbors. The court ruling today further validates what we already knew—the Trump administration’s attempt to overreach and bully San Francisco into abandoning our values and complying with unfair, unjust immigration enforcement laws is unconstitutional.

The Trump administration’s continued attacks on immigrants are putting people’s lives at risk, especially in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We need people to be comfortable getting a COVID-19 test, going to the doctor, or responding to a contact tracer, without fearing that their information will be shared for purposes of immigration enforcement. We need all our residents to trust City government and know that we are here to help. In San Francisco, we’re working to build that trust, not tear it apart with threats of deportation and enforcement actions.

Our sanctuary ordinance makes our entire city safer. Our residents should not live in fear of calling the police to report crimes or working with law enforcement to strengthen our communities. This is an important victory for San Francisco and our immigrant communities, and I want to thank City Attorney Dennis Herrera for his work on this monumental case.”

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