A federal judge has ruled against two Massachusetts sanctuary cities, clearing the way for President Donald Trump to move forward with cutting off certain Department of Justice (DOJ) grants to jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The ruling came after Chelsea and Somerville filed a lawsuit earlier this year, claiming Trump’s executive orders would cause them “irreparable harm.” The orders, signed earlier in 2025, direct the DOJ to withhold specific federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions that obstruct federal immigration enforcement.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton rejected the cities’ arguments. In his decision, Gorton wrote:
“Those complexities notwithstanding, the Cities still bear the burden of demonstrating to this Court how it is not just possible, but likely, that without injunctive relief, they will suffer imminent and irreparable harm. Plaintiffs have not done so.”
He denied the cities’ request for a preliminary injunction, allowing Trump’s executive orders to stand while the case proceeds.
Dale Wilcox, executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), praised the ruling. FAIR filed a brief supporting the Trump administration’s position. “Rather than simply comply with federal law and the Constitution, these cities have run to court to keep the money flowing even as they go on breaking the law,” Wilcox said. “But the administration’s pressure on these cities to obey the law is not an injury a court can recognize. We are pleased the court clearly saw that there was no imminent irreparable harm here.”
The case is City of Chelsea v. Trump, No. 1:25-cv-10442, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
The ruling represents another legal victory for the Trump administration’s crackdown on sanctuary jurisdictions, reinforcing its policy that federal funding will be tied to cooperation with immigration enforcement.
