TDR Partner Brian Haussmann, on behalf of The United States Conference of Mayors, filed a brief in the Seventh Circuit on April 20, 2020.  The brief argues that the Court should affirm a lower court ruling allowing so-called “Sanctuary Cities” to receive needed federal public-safety funds.  The brief also argues that the Conference, as an association, has standing to represent its member cities throughout the country, and that those cities are each entitled to relief from unlawful, immigration-related conditions imposed by the Attorney General upon receipt of the grants.

According to Mr. Haussmann, “The Attorney General’s attempts to coerce local law enforcement into policing civil immigration infractions places cities in an impossible situation: either divert resources from fighting serious crime and undermine their relationships with immigrant communities that are necessary for police to do their jobs, or give up federal dollars Congress has allocated to help cities do just that,  We look forward to addressing these same concerns with the court of appeals, and we are hopeful that the court will again rule that the Attorney General’s actions are unlawful, and will agree with the district court that the Conference’s member cities are entitled to relief.”

The entire article is available at Law360 (subscription may be required).