President Trump Sued By Oregon Over Threat To Withhold Funds

PORTLAND, OR – The dispute between Oregon and the Trump administration over the state's status as a sanctuary state has reached another level. Governor Kate Brown and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum filed a suit in federal court Friday seeking to have a Trump-era rule saying that local law enforcement must cooperate with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

The Oregon officials state that the Trump administrations demand that the state, county, and local law enforcement enforce federal immigration laws is a violation of the 10th Amendment of the Constitution, which draws a line between federal and state authority.

The dispute is focused on the Trump administration's fury over Oregon's 31-year-old law enshrining Oregon as a "sanctuary" state. Trump has singled out not just the state but officials such as Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler.

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Brown and Rosenblum invited Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler to join them in the suit. He is waiting for city council approval to join the suit on behalf of Portland.

Oregon says that the the Trump administration put the must-cooperate clause into the rules governing the allocation of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant and said if localities didn't comply, they would lose the grant.

"Defendants have used the sword of federal funding to conscript state and local authorities to aid in federal civil immigration enforcement," says the suit, which names Trump and newly-appointed Acting Attorney General as defendants.

Oregon says that because they've upheld their own law and refused to give in to the Trump administration, they have lost $2,034,495 and anticipate losing another $2,092,704 this coming year.

The suit comes just days after Oregon voters overwhelmingly beat back a referendum that would have repealed the state's sanctuary law.

"Oregon voters sent a clear message to the Trump administration this week: Oregonians support our sanctuary laws,Brown said. "The Trump administration's attempts to withhold public safety dollars from our state is unjust, dangerous, and unconstitutional."

Rosenblum added that "these public safety funds have been withdrawn because Oregon will not submit to U.S. DOJ's demand that Oregon participate in its immigration enforcement efforts."

The Trump administration has not yet responded to the suit.

File photo of President Trump last month on the White House lawn by by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images.