The
Supreme Court hasn't issued a single "sanctuary cities" decision in
2025; instead, ongoing legal battles, influenced by a June 2025 SCOTUS ruling
limiting nationwide injunctions (*Trump v. CASA), have seen lower
courts block federal attempts to cut funding or mandate local cooperation,
while the administration continues to challenge sanctuary policies and laws,
with major implications for federal funding and local control remaining
unsettled as cases progress.
Key Developments & Court Actions (2025):
Federal Executive Actions: President Trump signed an executive order in April 2025 (EO 14287) targeting sanctuary jurisdictions, directing the DOJ to publish a list and work to cut funds.
Legal Challenges: States and cities (like San Francisco) sued, arguing these actions are federal overreach, violate the Constitution, and impede local control.
District Court Rulings (Mid-2025): Federal judges issued injunctions blocking the administration from withholding disaster aid or cutting existing funds, finding potential irreparable harm and unconstitutional coercion.
Supreme Court's Impact: A June 2025 SCOTUS ruling (Trump v. CASA) limited federal judges' ability to issue nationwide injunctions, sending some cases back to lower courts for narrower relief, but leaving avenues like class actions open.
Ongoing Litigation: Cases continue to move through lower courts, with significant legal questions about the federal government's power versus state/local authority unresolved.
What's Next (Likely Scenarios):
Continued Federal vs. Local Battles: Expect more lawsuits challenging federal funding cuts and mandates.
Funding Uncertainty: The status of federal grants (like for law enforcement, health) tied to immigration compliance remains in flux.
Focus on Due Process: Courts will continue examining if federal actions violate constitutional rights or force local officers into federal immigration duties.
In essence, 2025 has been a year of active legal resistance and federal pressure, with the Supreme Court's limited injunction ruling shaping the battlefield, but the ultimate scope of federal power over sanctuary policies remains a work in progress.
As of December 2025, the Supreme Court has not issued a decision on the core issue of sanctuary cities' authority during its current term. The current legal battles are ongoing in lower courts, with a key case pending a potential appeal to the Supreme Court.
Current Legal Status
Ongoing Litigation: The current disputes stem from a series of executive orders issued by the Trump administration in 2025 aimed at withholding federal funding from jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement (so-called "sanctuary cities").
Lower Court Rulings: Federal district courts have largely sided with the sanctuary jurisdictions, issuing preliminary injunctions that block the administration from cutting off existing federal funds, citing the anti-commandeering doctrine of the Tenth Amendment. This doctrine generally prevents the federal government from forcing states and localities to enforce federal law.
Ninth Circuit Review: The administration's appeals of these injunctions are currently being heard by U.S. Courts of Appeals, including the Ninth Circuit. In December 2025, judges on the Ninth Circuit expressed some doubt about the broad scope of the existing injunctions, suggesting they might be narrowed or lifted, but no final ruling has been made.
No Scheduled SCOTUS Case: There is no case specifically focused on the constitutionality of sanctuary cities' policies themselves currently scheduled for oral argument at the Supreme Court in the 2025-2026 term, though the ongoing appeals could eventually reach the high court.
Previous Supreme Court Action
In March 2021, a previous set of Trump-era "sanctuary city" cases was dismissed by the Supreme Court at the request of the Biden administration, meaning the legal questions were left unanswered at the highest level at that time.
The situation remains dynamic, with a possibility that one of the current lawsuits challenging the federal government's actions or the local governments' policies could be appealed to the Supreme Court in the future.
https://www.google.com/search?q=what+will+the+supreme+court%27s+decision+on+sanctuary+cities+2025
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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