Washington, D.C. – U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran issued the following statement on today’s ruling of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California:

The nation’s mayors applaud today’s decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California which granted San Francisco and Santa Clara County’s motion for a nationwide preliminary injunction, thus enjoining nationwide the provisions in the interior enforcement executive order applying to sanctuary jurisdictions.  We stand with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and the leaders of other local governments who have challenged the provisions in the executive order.

The Court found that the Counties demonstrated that they are likely to succeed on their claim that the Executive Order purports to wield powers exclusive to Congress and violates the Tenth and Fifth Amendments.

Today’s decision comes just hours after a meeting the Conference of Mayors had with Attorney General Jeff Sessions in which the mayors and police chief present were told that the definition of a sanctuary city is based on compliance with 8 U.S.C. 1373.

The Conference has long opposed the withholding of funds from so-called “sanctuary cities,” which, of course, is a political term not a legal one.  In partnership with police chiefs, mayors have strong reservations about any efforts, either through executive action or legislation to deny federal funds to cities that aim to build trusting and supportive relations with immigrant communities.