“San Francisco faces an unacceptable choice: either comply with DOJ’s unconstitutional new grant conditions and abandon local policies that San Francisco has found to promote public safety and foster trust and cooperation between law enforcement and the public,” the complaint said, “Or, maintain these policies but forfeit critical funds that it relies on to provide essential services to San Francisco residents.”

San Francisco had already filed a lawsuit that blocked a provision of President Trump’s executive order that would have cut federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions. Cities must also provide federal officials with 48 hours notice in the case of an impending release of a prisoner who is being sought for questioning.City Attorney Herrera and State Attorney General Xavier Becerra also announced Monday that the state would file a lawsuit over the same issue.This makes California the first state to sue the federal government over the grants.The Byrne grant, cited in the lawsuit, guarantees money to cities that want to buy new police vehicles or fund public safety efforts, which include jail diversion initiatives, social work services and adult alternative courts. Our police and deputies are focused on fighting crime not breaking up hardworking families.”

The lawsuit, filed on Friday in federal court, alleges that two new conditions the DOJ has put on grant money to be used by local police are unconstitutional. "More than $28 million in federal funds that California uses for programs supporting law enforcement, recidivism prevention, crime victims and witnesses, and at-risk youth are at issue." He said President Trump’s push to end the funding is “bullying.”

“It’s a low blow to our men and women who wear the badge, for the federal government to threaten their crime-fighting resources in order to force them to do the work of the federal government when it comes to immigration enforcement,” the attorney general said at a San Francisco news conference. San Francisco has joined Chicago as it became the latest city to sue the Trump administration over its threat to withhold federal grant money from jurisdictions that refuse to fully cooperate with immigration authorities. In response, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said the Trump administration “will not simply give away grant dollars to city governments that proudly violate the rule of law and protect criminal aliens.”

Jim Brulte, chairman of the California GOP, criticized the lawsuits, saying that “allowing felons, allowing repeat felons to roam free for political purposes is bad public policy.”

Supporters have said the sanctuary protections promote overall public safety by allowing immigrants who are in the country illegally to report crimes without fear of federal deportation.
California and San Francisco sue the United States Federal government over its opposition towards sanctuary cities.