{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-federal-judges-nationwide-injunction-blocking-trump-executive-order-on-sanctuary-jurisdictions", "Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Federal Judges Nationwide Injunction Blocking Trump Executive Order On Sanctuary Jurisdictions", "2017-11-21", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.21.17\n\t\t\t Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On Federal Judge\u2019s Nationwide Injunction Blocking Trump Executive Order On \u201cSanctuary Jurisdictions\u201d \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t[Last week the U.S. Department of Justice notified 29 jurisdictions, including the State of Vermont and the City of Burlington, of its plans to withhold federal funding based on claims that their policing policies violated federal law with respect to immigration enforcement. Both Vermont jurisdictions have steadfastly denied the DOJ claims, which threatened more than $500,000 in Byrne JAG funding to Vermont law enforcement agencies.\u00a0 Following is Senator Patrick Leahy\u2019s reaction to the court\u2019s nationwide injunction:]\r\nOn Monday night a federal judge saw the Trump Administration\u2019s attempt to deny critical funding to so-called \u201csanctuary jurisdictions\u201d for what it is: unconstitutional. \u00a0Police chiefs, sheriffs and local leaders should decide what state and local policies are necessary to keep their communities safe -- not a President and an Attorney General who are attempting to extort immigration reform by cutting off vital public safety resources to those communities. \u00a0This decision makes clear that it is an affront to our government\u2019s fundamental separation of powers for the Trump Administration to retaliate against states and localities that refuse to bow to its xenophobic, anti-immigrant agenda. \u00a0The Trump Administration\u2019s efforts to villainize and scapegoat immigrants and harass states and communities are not just disgraceful, they are illegal.\u00a0 This decision casts doubt on the authority of the Attorney General to withhold funding from the 29 jurisdictions that were notified last week.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/statement-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-on-federal-judges-nationwide-injunction-blocking-trump-executive-order-on-sanctuary-jurisdictions"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4085597358644009, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}