By: Patrick E. Premo, Kathryn J. Fritz, Mitchell Zimmerman and Annasara G. Purcell
This week, U.S. District Court Judge William H. Orrick issued his decision granting the Santa Clara County and the City and County of San Francisco’s motion for a nationwide preliminary injunction. The injunction bars the federal government from enforcing an executive order that threatened to cut off federal grants and federal funding to local governments targeted as “sanctuary jurisdictions” for declining to participate in federal immigration enforcement.
Through an amicus brief filed by Fenwick, a group of technology companies spoke out against the executive order, supporting the counties’ request for the injunction. The brief pointed out that every major technology hub in America is a city at risk of being designated as a “sanctuary” jurisdiction under the executive order and as a result losing federal funding or grants. The tech amici further addressed how the order seeks to compel conduct antithetical to the values of inclusiveness, diversity and openness that have enabled communities like Silicon Valley to thrive.
The federal court’s April 25 decision is effective nationwide and protects the budgets and funding of all sanctuary jurisdictions, including sanctuary cities, across the country, not just San Francisco and Santa Clara Counties.
“The court’s decision is a win for the neediest people in our nation—seniors in need of food, foster youth in need of shelter, and children who need medical care,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez in a statement. “We will continue being a welcoming, safe, and diverse community.”
The Trump Administration is expected to appeal the decision to the Ninth Circuit, and Fenwick is prepared to submit another amicus brief.
Fenwick is very proud to support Santa Clara County and the City and County of San Francisco in their fight to protect hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding that support critical services in our local communities.
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