Portland plans to take a stand against President Donald Trump's executive order that says the administration will withhold federal grants from sanctuary cities that, like Portland, refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

At the urging of Mayor Ted Wheeler, the City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to join Seattle in suing over Trump's order, which the Seattle lawsuit asserts is unconstitutional. Commissioners Amanda Fritz and Dan Saltzman were absent.

"Five years ago, I never would have envisioned myself suing a president of the United States on an issue that I believe is an issue of morality, and yet here we are," Wheeler said. "It's very important that we're taking this action."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a March press conference that the federal government would also take "all lawful steps to claw back any funds" awarded to sanctuary cities.

Two days later, Seattle filed suit. It alleges that Trump's executive order violates the Tenth Amendment, which prohibits the federal government from directing state and local governments to do the work of the federal government, The Seattle Times reported. The suit also argues the order violates the U.S. Constitution's Spending Clause, which blocks the federal government from coercing state or local action through the denial of funds.

"This administration has created an atmosphere of anxiety in cities across America and created chaos in our politics," Seattle Mayor Ed Murray told The Seattle Times. "It is time for cities to stand up."

Portland's current budget has more than $29 million in federal grants that "could be in jeopardy," according to a financial impact analysis of the resolution.

"The City of Portland is the recipient of millions of dollars of federal grants that could be jeopardized by (the executive order), and, therefore, has a direct stake in the outcome of litigation challenging the legality of (the order)," Wheeler's proposal says.

Wednesday's vote allows the city attorney to join Seattle's suit, either as a partner or a supportive filer.

Portland City Attorney Tracy Reeve said her office is in discussions with the Seattle City Attorney's office, which she said welcomes Portland's involvement.

Reeve said her office will determine whether to file with or separately from Seattle based on what makes the most procedural sense.

"By partnering with Seattle we send a unified message as the Northwest," Wheeler said.

The costs of joining the lawsuit would be minimal, according to a financial impact analysis. The city received an offer from an unnamed "reputable law firm" to litigate the case for free, the analysis said. Costs are unlikely to exceed "a few thousand dollars," it said.

The Portland City Council officially declared Portland a sanctuary city in March, insisting Portland is a welcoming place for all. The council directed city bureaus to train staff how to respond to federal immigration requests for information on city employees or Portland residents.

Suspended Portland Police Chief Mike Marshman told Portland Police Bureau employees in January that his officers would not enforce federal immigration rules.

"The Constitution clearly delineates responsibility between the federal and local level," mayoral spokesman Michael Cox said. "Our policy is constitutional. Retaliation for that policy in the form of withholding funds is not."

--Jessica Floum

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