A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from cutting federal funding to dozens of "sanctuary" cities and counties, which includes several of the largest cities in the United States.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco extended a preliminary injunction that prevents the administration from suspending or conditioning the use of of federal funds to “sanctuary” jurisdictions if they do not cooperate with immigration authorities.

The judge had previously ruled in April that it was unconstitutional for President Trump to freeze funding to local governments that limit their cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), commonly known as sanctuary cities.

This ruling applied to more than a dozen cities and counties that had sued the Trump administration for threatening to cut off funding, including San Francisco, Sacramento, Minneapolis, and Seattle.

The Justice Department has sued New York, Los Angeles, and other cities over their sanctuary policies.

An executive order issued by Trump directs Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to withhold federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions.

Another order directs all federal agencies to ensure that payments to state and local governments do not “abet calls 'sanctuary' policies that seek to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation."

The cities and counties that sued claimed that billions of dollars were at risk.

There is no strict definition of sanctuary cities, but the term generally describes places that limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE enforces immigration laws nationwide, but enlists the help of state and local authorities in identifying immigrants wanted for deportation and holding them for federal agents.