Well, It Was Nice While It Lasted

The American experiment in self-governance, I mean. Here's one more sign that it's on the way out:

A federal judge Monday permanently struck down one of President Donald Trump’s first executive orders, cutting off funds to “sanctuary cities.”

In a summary judgment ruling, U.S. District Judge William Orrick III found Trump’s Jan. 25 executive order violated the Constitution in multiple ways: by invoking spending powers that belong exclusively to Congress, and by placing unrelated conditions on federal grants in violation of the Tenth Amendment.

“Federal funding that bears no meaningful relationship to immigration enforcement cannot be threatened merely because a jurisdiction chooses an immigration enforcement strategy of which the President disapproves,” Orrick wrote in a 28-page ruling.

So far, all well and good. (There are further details at the link.)

The DoJ,on the other hand, doesn't seem to believe in American system of government:

However, a Department of Justice spokesman said the court had “exceeded its authority” in its ruling, and vowed that the department would continue to follow Trump’s direction with regard to the January executive order.

Let's see -- where in the Constitution does it say that the executive branch gets to decide the limits on the power of the courts?

I see a flurry of contempt citations coming.

Via Joe.My.God.