WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump plans to fight a U.S. judge's decision to freeze his order threatening funding to state and local governments that refuse to cooperate fully with immigration agents.
"We'll see them in the Supreme Court," Trump said Wednesday in response to a question from a reporter while signing an executive order to look into rolling back the designation of some national monuments.
U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick III ruled Tuesday that Trump's Jan. 25 order to cut some federal funding to so-called sanctuary cities and counties was unconstitutional.
The Trump administration plans to appeal the ruling from the district court, which falls under the 9th U.S. Circuit. If Justice Department lawyers lose the case before the left-leaning appeals court, they can ask the Supreme Court to weigh in.
Asked if he was surprised by the ruling, Trump said, "I'm never surprised by the 9th Circuit."
Ninth Circuit judges also knocked down Trump's order temporarily halting the U.S. entry of refugees and nationals from several countries in Africa and the Middle East.
On Twitter earlier Wednesday, Trump accused opponents of "judge shopping," bringing the case in front of judges that would give favorable ruling.
