Judge Denies Somerville Preliminary Injunction In Trump Legal Battle

SOMERVILLE, MA — A U.S. District Court Judge denied the issuance of a preliminary injunction for Somerville and Chelsea against President Donald Trump and his administration.

In February, the city filed a lawsuit against Trump saying that the mandates violate Constitutional rights. Trump has issued three Executive Orders since his inauguration that threaten to cut off funding to sanctuary cities. The two cities filed the injunction in June after the Department of Homeland Security told dozens of Massachusetts communities that they must adhere to their commands or face consequences. Judge Nathaniel Gorton said he ruled against the cities because the threat of funding withdrawal is not imminent or harmful enough at this time to warrant preliminary relief. Despite the ruling, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne said she will continue the legal battle on behalf of the city.

“Although we believe that the harm is in fact imminent, we are heartened by the Court’s recognition that this is only a preliminary ruling and that we can return to Court to seek ‘a prompt injunction’ if and when funding withdrawal actually occurs,” Ballantyne said. “We will proceed accordingly as we move forward with this lawsuit.”