Judge Denies Sanctuary Cities’ Bid; DOJ Can Withhold Grants Over ICE Noncooperation

A federal judge in Massachusetts denied a preliminary injunction sought by Chelsea and Somerville, allowing the administration to proceed with conditioning certain DOJ grants on cooperation with ICE. Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton found the cities failed to show imminent, irreparable harm. The ruling is a legal win for federal efforts to pressure sanctuary jurisdictions but comes amid a broader judicial split on funding conditions tied to immigration cooperation.