US judge dismisses Trump admin bid to overturn New York City sanctuary policies

A federal judge has dismissed the Trump administration’s attempt to overturn New York City’s sanctuary policies, ruling that local authorities cannot be compelled to use their staff and resources to enforce federal civil immigration laws.The ruling, issued on Thursday by US District Judge Ramón E Reyes Jr, was welcomed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who said the city would not allow immigration enforcement to create divisions among its residents.“The federal government came to court seeking to force New York City to turn its public servants into deportation agents and divert our resources toward carrying out ICE’s cruel agenda,” Mamdani said in a statement.He added that the city would continue to protect its residents, saying: “Our city belongs to all of us, and we will not abandon our neighbors to satisfy an inhumane, xenophobic agenda.”In his ruling, Reyes said federal law did not require states to take part in immigration enforcement or comply with federal requests to do so. The judge rejected the administration’s argument that New York City’s policies unlawfully interfered with its immigration operations.“There is nothing within federal law that obligates states to participate in federal immigration enforcement or compels states to comply,” Reyes wrote.The lawsuit was part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to challenge policies that limit cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration agencies. Similar cases brought against Los Angeles, Chicago and Minnesota have also been dismissed by federal courts in recent years.New York City’s sanctuary rules restrict how local agencies cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including limits on holding people in custody solely on the basis of ICE detainer requests and sharing certain information with federal authorities.The Justice Department had argued in its original complaint that the city’s policies allowed people accused or convicted of crimes to be released when they could otherwise have been held for immigration removal. The department had not immediately responded to a request for comment following Thursday’s ruling.The ruling comes amid renewed attention on the relationship between New York City police and federal immigration authorities. Earlier this month, an ICE agent shot 28-year-old Oscar Belgal while his child was in the back of his car, after which the agency detained him.The New York Police Department arrived at the scene and later faced criticism over its handling of protests, including an incident involving Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier. She said the police response violated “the spirit, if not the letter” of the city’s sanctuary laws.Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on Thursday that the NYPD had not been involved in the federal immigration operation before the shooting. She said officers attended the scene to preserve evidence.Although the administration lost its challenge to New York City’s policies, it has continued to expand a separate programme that allows local police departments to take on federal immigration enforcement duties.Under agreements known as 287(g), local officers can be authorised to enforce federal immigration law. New York City does not have such an agreement, but the American Civil Liberties Union has documented the programme’s expansion across the country during the second Trump administration.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.