A federal judge has dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit challenging New York’s protections against immigration arrests at state courthouses, ruling that the federal government cannot compel states to assist with civil immigration enforcement.
In a decision issued late Monday, U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino granted New York’s motion to dismiss the case. The lawsuit was one of several brought by the Republican administration targeting state and local policies that limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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At the center of the dispute was the Protect Our Courts Act, a 2020 New York law prohibiting federal immigration officials from arresting individuals who are entering, leaving, or attending proceedings in state courthouses unless they have a judicial warrant. The statute was passed after advocates raised alarms over ICE enforcement actions in and around courthouses during former President Donald Trump’s first term. The law does not apply to federal immigration courts.
The Department of Justice argued that the law, along with two related executive orders, violated the Constitution by obstructing federal immigration authority. Judge D’Agostino rejected that claim, finding that New York’s refusal to assist with civil immigration enforcement falls squarely within the protections of the Tenth Amendment, which limits the federal government’s ability to commandeer state resources.
“Fundamentally, the United States fails to identify any federal law mandating that state and local officials generally assist or cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Nor could it,” D’Agostino wrote. “No such federal laws exist because the Tenth Amendment prohibits Congress from conscripting state and local officials and resources to assist with federal regulatory schemes, like immigration enforcement.”
A Justice Department spokesperson said the administration remains committed to defending President Trump’s immigration agenda, calling it a matter of “national security and public safety.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office fought to have the case dismissed, welcomed the ruling. “Everyone deserves to seek justice without fear,” she said. “This decision ensures that immigrant communities can access New York’s state courts without being targeted by federal authorities.”
