Another immigration policy win for Trump administration: this time on sanctuary cities

For the second time in less than a week, the Trump administration has won a victory regarding his immigration policies.

The Trump policies are popular among the president's supporters, and unpopular among his critics.

This time, a federal appeals court in New York has ruled that the government can hold back millions of dollars in law enforcement grants to sanctuary cities and states that protect illegal immigrants and decline to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The decision upends previous, lower court rulings that said the Trump administration cannot withhold federal tax money from New York City, New York State, and six other states.

The other states are: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington.

The locales sued after the Trump Justice Department announced it would not release grant money because they refused to cooperate with immigration authorities. Federal officials say the city and states should notify federal authorities in advance when an illegal immigrant criminal is about to be released, so that person can be evaluated for deportation.

The Trump administration has won a string of immigration-related court victories, though some of them are just temporary decisions while cases continue.

The Trump policies are widely heralded by legal immigration advocates but criticized by illegal immigration advocates.