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Federal Appeals Court Rules Trump Administration Can Withhold Money From Sanctuary States, Cities

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) — A federal appeals court has ruled the Trump administration can withhold millions of dollars in law enforcement grants from cities and states with so-called sanctuary laws.

Seven states and New York City had sued the government after the Justice Department announced in 2017 it would withhold grant money until cities and states gave federal immigration authorities access to jails and provide advance notice when someone in the country illegally is about to be released.

Wednesday's ruling from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan overturned a lower court's decision ordering the administration to release funding.

This particular lawsuit did not include California, which passed its own statewide sanctuary law, known as SB 54, in 2017 in defiance of the Trump administration. A different federal appeals court sided with California in 2018, and it's not clear how this new ruling will impact California's sanctuary state law.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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