Trump's unconstitutional attack on sanctuary cities

In 2007 the U.S. Supreme Court decided the case of Printz v. United States. At issue was whether the federal government could lawfully order state officials to enforce certain provisions of the 1993 Brady Handgun Prevention Act. The feds lost the case—and rightfully so. The federal government’s actions violated the 10th Amendment.

“The Federal Government may neither issue directives requiring the States to address particular problems,” declared the majority opinion of Justice Antonin Scalia, “nor command the States’ officers, or those of their political subdivisions, to administer or enforce a federal regulatory program.” In other words, the federal government may not commandeer the states for federal purposes. Scalia’s opinion in Printz plainly forbids the Trump administration from ordering sanctuary cities to enforce federal immigration laws.