A United Sates judge has blocked President Donald Trump's executive order that sought to withhold billions of dollars to so-called sanctuary cities as punishment for harboring illegal immigrants. Dealing a fresh setback to Mr Trump's pledged crackdown on undocumented residents, Judge William Orrick of San Francisco's Federal Court yesterday issued a preliminary<br/>injunction barring any attempt to implement the January 25 executive order. <br/><br/>The decision which could impact more than 300 cities and counties in the US that have denounced oder of Mr Trump, is another blow to the White House following successful court challenges to its two travel bans targeting Muslim-majority countries.<br/><br/>The President had threatened the transfer of some 1.7 billion dollar to Santa Clara County and 1.2 billion dollar for San Francisco. The judge said the Constitution vests the spending powers in the Congress and not the President, so the order cannot constitutionally place new conditions on federal funds.