Search â–¸ Agenda item attachment
A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a federal update including an update on relevant court cases
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CITY OF CAMBRIDGE
OFFICE OF THE CITY SOLICITOR
Lawsuits Challenging Federal Actions that Involve the City, or of Special Interest to the City – September 8, 2025 Update
Lawsuit Name
Case No. / Case
Citation
Summary of Lawsuit
Status
King County v.
Turner
25-cv-00814
(W.D. Wash.)
The City of Cambridge is a plaintiff in this case.
Plaintiffs sued Secretary of Transportation and HUD for imposing conditions on
grants to local governments, including HUD Continuum of Care and DOT grants.
The conditions include prohibitions on DEI, "gender ideology," "elective
abortions," and aid to immigrants. The imposed conditions threaten over $4 billion
dollars in federal funding. Local governments argue that in imposing conditions on
grants, the federal government violates the separation of powers, Spending
Clause, the Tenth Amendment, the Due Process Clause (Vagueness), and the
Administrative Procedure Act (APA).
Preliminary Injunction entered in favor of local governments on June 3, 2025. The Preliminary
Injunction Order has allowed the City to enter into grant agreements with HUD for the Continuum of
Care grant funds. Federal government appealed. Appeal pending.
Additionally, the Plaintiffs filed a second Motion for Preliminary Injunction asking the Court to order that
the conditions do not apply to additional grants, such as CDBG grants. The Court issued an order
granting the Preliminary Injunction on August 12, 2025, and the order applies to the City’s CDBG grants.
San Francisco v.
Trump
25-cv- 01350
(N.D. Cal.)
The City of Cambridge is a plaintiff in this case.
Lawsuit to enjoin enforcement of President Trump’s initial Sanctuary Jurisdiction
Executive Order (EO). Plaintiffs argue the EO violates the Tenth Amendment,
Separation of Powers, Spending Clause, and Due Process Clause.
Preliminary Injunction entered in favor of local governments, ordering that the Federal Government
cannot enforce the Sanctuary Jurisdiction EO. Federal Government Appealed. Appeal pending.
Cambridge added as a plaintiff. Plaintiffs filed a second Motion for Preliminary Injunction asking the
Court to prevent the Federal Government from enforcing both Sanctuary Jurisdiction EOs against all
of the Plaintiffs, including Cambridge. On August 22, 2025 the Court issued an order granting the
Preliminary Injunction. Also the Federal Gov’t filed a Motion to Dismiss the case that the local
governments will be opposing.
California v.
United States
DOT
25-cv-00208
(D.R.I.)
An order in this case applies to the City of Cambridge.
States challenge an April 24, 2025, letter issued by Secretary Duffy, requiring
recipients of DOT grants to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The
letter does not define what constitutes “cooperation.” States allege that the
conditions are beyond DOT’s authority.
Preliminary Injunction entered on June 19, 2025, which protects funding for the 20 states that brought the
suit, including Massachusetts, and the local governments in those states, including Cambridge. Motions for
summary judgment filed on August 19, 2025.
State of New
York v. U.S.
Department of
Justice
25-cv-00345
(D.R.I.)
An order in this case applies to the City of Cambridge.
States challenged the revocation of various exemptions under the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA).
PRWORA is part of the federal welfare system and governs the eligibility of
noncitizens for Federal, State, and local public benefits. Several federal agencies
issued new requirements requiring recipients of federal funding to be checked for
immigration status. This has meant that many undocumented immigrants who
previously had access to certain federal benefits under the agency exemptions
are no longer exempted. This also means that states administering federal benefit
programs are now required to implement verification schemes to verify the status
of benefit recipients, even if the programs previously did not require verification.
On July 30, the federal defendants stipulated they would not enforce the challenged notices against the
plaintiff states until September 11, 2025. The federal defendants also stipulated that they would not
enforce the notices based on conduct occurring in the plaintiff States prior to September 11, 2025; funds
expended in the plaintiff States prior to September 11, 2025; or any other actions taken in reliance on this
Stipulation prior to September 11, 2025. Since Massachusetts is a plaintiff, this applies to Cambridge. The
Plaintiffs have filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction.
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Lawsuit Name
Case No. / Case
Citation
Summary of Lawsuit
Status
Newsom v. Trump 25-3727
(9th Circuit);
25-cv-04870
(N.D. CA)
The City of Cambridge joined an amicus brief in this case.
California seeks order prohibiting the Department of Defense from federalizing the
CA National Guard and deploying it to conduct domestic law enforcement without
meeting statutory requirements.
U.S. District Court ruled that federal deployment of CA National Guard was illegal and violated the 10th
amendment. On June 19, 2025, the Ninth Circuit stayed the lower court order pending appeal.
After a three day bench trial, on September 2, 2025, the District Court ruled that the federal government
violated the Posse Comitatus Act when it unlawfully deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles for
immigration enforcement operations. The District Court’s ruling will go into effect on September 12, 2025,
and bar “deploying, ordering, instructing, training, or using the National Guard currently deployed in
California, and any military troops heretofore deployed in California, to execute the laws, including but not
limited to engaging in arrests, apprehensions, searches, seizures, security patrols, traffic control, crowd
control, riot control, evidence collection, interrogation, or acting as informants.”
Commonwealth of
MA v. National
Institutes of
Health, et al, and
other associated
cases
25-1343 (1st Cir.);
25-cv-10338
(D. Mass.)
The City of Cambridge joined an amicus brief in this case.
MA argues that cap of 15% reimbursement for all new grants, regardless of the
indirect cost needs of the institution, violates the Administrative Procedure Act.
U.S. District Court issued a final judgment enjoining federal government’s 15% cap on
reimbursement for all new grants. Federal government appealed. Appeal pending.
President and
Fellows of Harvard
College v. DHS, et
al.
25-1627
(1st Cir.)
25-cv-11472
(D. Mass.)
The City of Cambridge intends to file an amicus brief in this case.
Harvard contests federal government’s revocation of Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign
students and otherwise prevent foreign students from enrolling at Harvard.
U.S. District Court entered order enjoining federal government from “implementing, instituting,
maintaining, or giving any force or effect” to the federal government’s revocation of Harvard’s ability to
enroll foreign students. Court likewise enjoined presidential proclamation barring foreign students destined
for Harvard. Federal government appealed. Appeal pending regarding injunction.
On August 6, 2025, the federal government stipulated that “the May 22 letter will not be used to revoke
Harvard’s SEVP certification or Exchange Visitor Program designation. Defendants are currently following
the procedures under 8 C.F.R. §§ 214.3, 214.4 and 22 C.F.R. Part 62.” Harvard did not accept the
stipulation. The federal government has moved to dismiss the District Court case.
United States v.
City of Rochester
25-cv-06226
(W.D. NY)
The City of Cambridge joined an amicus brief in this case.
Federal government sued Rochester seeking injunctive relief holding that
sanctuary policies violate the Supremacy Clause.
Cross motions for judgment on the pleadings filed by both parties. Amicus brief, in which Cambridge
joined, filed on August 28, 2025. Arguments not scheduled yet.
President and
Fellows of Harvard
College v. HHS, et
al.
25-cv-11048
(D. Mass.)
Harvard case.
Harvard contests federal government’s withdrawal of federal funding. Harvard argues
that the federal government did not take necessary steps to cancel federal funds.
On September 3, 2025, the District Court ruled that the federal government violated the Constitution, Title
VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and the APA when it froze more than $2.6 billion in Harvard research funding.
The ruling vacated the freeze orders and termination notices Harvard received from the federal government
and permanently enjoined reimposition of unconstitutional conditions on funding.
United States v.
Illinois, Cook
County, &
Chicago
25-cv-01285
(N.D. Ill.)
Case concerns a similar Welcoming Community Ordinance.
Federal government sued Illinois, Cook County, and Chicago seeking declaratory
and injunctive relief holding that sanctuary policies violate the Supremacy Clause.
On July 25th, the District Court dismissed the case and upheld the sanctuary policies, including
Chicago’s Welcoming Community Ordinance. Local government decisions not to participate in
immigration enforcement are protected by the Tenth Amendment and not preempted by federal law.
The federal government had until August 22, 2025, to amend its complaint. No amended complaint
was filed. The case was dismissed with prejudice on August 26, 2025.
City of Chicago v.
United States
Department of
Homeland
Security
25-cv-05462
(N.D. Ill.)
The City of Boston is a plaintiff in this case.
Lawsuit seeks to enjoin federal government from freezing funding under the
Securing Cities counterterrorism program (STC) and to require the federal
government to process pending and future reimbursement requests pursuant to
law. The complaint alleges that DHS is violating the separation of powers, that its
actions are ultra vires, and that it is violating the APA.
No significant Court orders in this case.
City of Chelsea v.
Trump
25-cv-10442
(D. Mass.)
The Cities of Chelsa and Somerville are plaintiffs in this case.
Lawsuit challenges Protecting the American People from Invasion EO and other
executive actions related to withholding of federal funds based on immigration
policy. The plaintiffs seek to enjoin the federal government from withholding
federal funds based on sanctuary policies.
Somerville and Chelsea filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction and a hearing was held on July 17,
2025. No decision yet.
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Lawsuit Name
Case No. / Case
Citation
Summary of Lawsuit
Status
Vasquez-
Perdomo v. Noem
25A169
(Supreme Court)
25-4312
(9th Cir.);
2:25-cv-05605-
MEMF-SP
The City of Boston has filed an amicus brief in this case.
Lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order to enjoin ICE and CBP from engaging
in unconstitutional and unlawful stops of Los Angeles residents during
immigration sweeps. Plaintiffs allege ICE and CBP have a policy and practice of
engaging in unconstitutional stops not based on reasonable, individualized
suspicion of unlawful presence, but instead based on racial profiling.
Lower Court granted temporary restraining order on unlawful stops and access to counsel in favor of
plaintiffs. Appeals pending in the 9th Circuit and Supreme Court. Concurrently, the parties are briefing
preliminary injunction in the District Court.