Two sanctuary cities in Massachusetts have sued President Trump and the Justice Department in an extraordinary lawsuit that asks a judge to block the feds from bringing criminal charges against city leaders.

Chelsea and Somerville also asked the federal court in Massachusetts to issue a ruling barring the Justice Department and other government agencies from withholding grant money in retaliation for the cities’ sanctuary policies.

The cities said their budgets depend on federal cash, and they accused Mr. Trump of “bullying” them into changes through his executive orders.

“The intent and force of the executive order is clear: to deprive local jurisdictions of their constitutionally protected decision-making authority and unlawfully compel them to carry out federal immigration enforcement,” the cities argued in their complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts.

Sanctuary cities are jurisdictions that refuse some level of cooperation with federal immigration authorities. They say if they cooperate with the feds, it will scare immigrants, here both legally and illegally, which will make it tougher for the government to educate children, deliver services and fight crime.

Battles over federal funding for sanctuary cities raged during Mr. Trump’s first term, with the sanctuaries generally getting the best of the legal wrangling.

Mr. Trump has vowed a renewed effort this time, with the added threat of criminal prosecution when sanctuary policies extend to thwarting federal immigration enforcement.

No such charges have been filed, but the Massachusetts cities want a court ruling barring them from even being brought.

They asked for a ruling that would “declare that plaintiffs cannot be held criminally liable under the DOJ memos merely by virtue of plaintiffs’ sanctuary policies.”

The Justice Department has brought civil lawsuits against Illinois and New York challenging their sanctuary policies.

While Massachusetts doesn’t currently face a lawsuit, the feds clearly have their eye on the state.

White House border czar Tom Homan has said he will be “bringing hell” to Boston after the city’s police commissioner took a defiant stance.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu defended Boston police and her city’s sanctuary policies to WBZ Radio, where she called Mr. Homan’s comments “insulting.”

“We have the best police commissioner in the country,” she said. “Boston’s crime levels are at the lowest ever recorded in our history.”

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.