The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against the State of New York over a sanctuary law that dramatically restricts immigration enforcement actions.
Federal prosecutors on Thursday sued New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both Democrats, for a state law that prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from arresting wanted foreign nationals at or near courthouses, according to court documents provided by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The administration argues the policies help “shield” criminal migrants from apprehension.
“Lawless sanctuary city policies are the root cause of the violence that Americans have seen in California, and New York State is similarly employing sanctuary city policies to prevent illegal aliens from apprehension,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a prepared statement.
“This latest lawsuit in a series of sanctuary city litigation underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to keeping Americans safe and aggressively enforcing the law,” Bondi continued.
New York State’s Protect Our Courts Act blocks civil immigration arrests and shields illegal migrants, including those already ordered to be removed from the country, as they attend or travel to and from court proceedings across the state, according to court documents. The Trump administration argues that the law not only obstructs ICE operations, but the policy’s language is “remarkably broad.”
In a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation, a representative for James said the New York Attorney General is prepared to defend the Protect Our Courts Act.
“Immigrants make New York great,” the spokesperson stated. “The Protect Our Courts Act ensures every New Yorker can access our courts and pursue justice without fear, because due process means nothing if people are too afraid to appear in court. Attorney General James will proudly defend this law and all of New York’s laws, just as she will continue to defend the rights and dignity of all who call New York home.”
Hochul’s office did not respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.
The Thursday lawsuit was the latest in the Trump administration’s fight against local and state sanctuary laws across the country.
Federal prosecutors in February sued Chicago, Cook County and the state of Illinois for its sanctuary policies restricting cooperation between local police and ICE. In May, the DOJ sued several cities in New Jersey for their policies prohibiting ICE cooperation.
Hochul was among several governors to speak before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday about sanctuary state laws. The Democratic governor was seemingly unable to provide an answer when asked to name a high-profile heinous crime allegedly committed by an illegal immigrant in New York, despite there being several in past months.
The White House and other immigration enforcement proponents have long argued that courthouses should remain fair game for ICE arrests, deeming them much safer for both law enforcement agents and wanted migrants, as opposed to making at-large arrests where the chances of violence is more likely. Federal prosecutors reiterated this argument Thursday.
“As is true in all types of law enforcement, conducting an arrest at or near a courthouse often reduced the risk of flight and potential safety risks to the public, law enforcement officers, and targets themselves due to the enhanced security screenings in place at courthouses,” the DOJ stated in a press release. “New York’s law runs counter to common sense and endangers communities by eliminating safe places for law enforcement officers to act.”
The Trump administration has not hesitated to hold judges themselves accountable if they are suspected of obstructing ICE enforcement actions at courthouses.
During President Donald Trump’s first White House term, federal prosecutors slapped felony charges against a Massachusetts judge for allegedly allowing an illegal migrant to flee through a backdoor in order to avoid an ICE agent waiting in the lobby. More recently, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested in April for allegedly helping an illegal migrant evade ICE apprehension.
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