Appeals court rules Trump sanctuary cities order illegal

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s executive order that threatened to cut off federal funds to sanctuary cities is unconstitutional. The president’s order was in response to cities and states that don’t work with U.S. immigration authorities in enforcing the administration’s push to crack down on illegal immigration. In the 2-to-1 ruling, the court said the White House cannot withhold appropriated funds without approval from Congress. But the court also said it didn’t have enough evidence to support a nationwide ban on the order and sent the case back to the lower court for more hearings on that question.