Citing a new memo from the attorney general, the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday asked a federal judge to reassess a previous ruling that blocks President Trump's order taking away federal funding from so-called sanctuary cities, Reuters reported Monday.

Judge William Orrick, a district judge in San Francisco, issued the injunction against the president’s order late last month.

But the DOJ, according to a court filing obtained by the news service, argued that new legal guidance set forth by Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE disputed the reasons Orrick gave for issuing the injunction.

In a Monday memo detailing the legal definition for "sanctuary jurisdictions," Sessions said areas that match his definition will be ineligible to receive grants from the Departments of Justice or Homeland Security.

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The legal definition had been a matter of debate, as local governments and law enforcement agencies cooperate with federal immigration authorities on many different levels. Many large cities refuse full federal cooperation on immigration but have refused to define themselves as "sanctuary jurisdictions."

Orrick had originally challenged the executive order by saying cities that were under threat of being defunded could face “immediate irreparable harm.”

Following the ruling, Sessions had vowed to continue to litigate the case, saying Trump’s executive actions fell "squarely within the powers of the President.”

As part of his immigration agenda, Trump repeatedly promised on the campaign to cut funds from sanctuary cities.