Who is Judge William Orrick? The San Francisco Judge Who Blocked Trump’s Sanctuary City Funding Cuts

San Francisco,  A U.S. federal judge, William H. Orrick III, has once again drawn national attention after blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to cut off federal funding for sanctuary cities. The ruling protects more than 30 cities and counties, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Baltimore, which had refused to fully support former President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Judge Orrick Blocks Trump’s Funding Threat

The case began when Donald Trump signed two executive orders in early 2017. These orders warned that cities refusing to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) risked losing federal funds.

Sanctuary cities are local governments that limit cooperation between local police and federal immigration officers, especially in civil immigration arrests.

In his ruling, Judge William Orrick declared that Trump’s policy was a “coercive threat” that violated the U.S. Constitution. He wrote that threatening to strip away all federal funding unless cities changed their immigration policies was unlawful. As a result, Orrick expanded his earlier injunction from April 2017, which had initially protected 16 jurisdictions, to include more than 30 additional cities and counties.

White House and State Reactions

The White House did not respond immediately to the decision, but reports confirmed that the Trump administration had already appealed Orrick’s earlier ruling.

Los Angeles was among the major cities affected. Trump had previously deployed the National Guard in Los Angeles during protests related to immigration raids. That deployment later became the subject of a separate lawsuit filed by California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Who is Judge William Orrick?

Judge William Haskell Orrick III was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2012 and confirmed as a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California.

Before his judgeship, Orrick worked at the Department of Justice during the Obama administration. Over his career, he has ruled on several notable cases, including:

• A 2014 ruling upholding California’s ban on shark fin sales.

• A case against PG&E involving pollution discharge into San Francisco Bay.

• Multiple rulings blocking Trump administration policies on immigration and sanctuary cities.

Judge Orrick has often been described as a firm defender of constitutional limits on executive power.

FAQs

Q1. Why did Judge William Orrick block Trump’s order on sanctuary cities?
Judge Orrick said Trump’s order was unconstitutional because it threatened to cut all federal funding to cities that refused to change their policies.

Q2. Which cities are protected under Judge Orrick’s ruling?
Over 30 sanctuary jurisdictions including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Baltimore, and Chicago.