The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against New York City, Mayor Eric Adams, and other municipal leaders, challenging the city’s sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
The suit, filed in federal court, alleges that the city’s longstanding refusal to coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has led to the release of thousands of individuals living in the country illegally — some of whom have committed violent crimes after being shielded from deportation.
“New York City has released thousands of criminals on the streets to commit violent crimes against law-abiding citizens due to sanctuary city policies,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement. “If New York City won’t stand up for the safety of its citizens, we will.”
The legal filing accuses New York of actively undermining federal immigration law, pointing to city ordinances that prohibit local law enforcement from honoring ICE detainers or even sharing basic information with immigration officials — even when individuals are in custody for serious offenses.
DOJ: Sanctuary Policies “Interfere With Enforcement”
“New York City has long been at the vanguard of interfering with enforcing this country’s immigration laws,” the DOJ wrote in its brief. “Its history as a sanctuary city dates back to 1989, and its efforts to thwart federal immigration enforcement have only intensified since.”
The lawsuit seeks an injunction to invalidate local laws and policies that the DOJ says obstruct the federal government’s ability to enforce immigration statutes and protect public safety.
The lawsuit follows similar DOJ actions against other Democrat-led jurisdictions, including California, Illinois, Colorado, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Newark, New Jersey, all of which maintain sanctuary policies shielding illegal immigrants from federal enforcement.
Mayor Adams Responds: “Keeping New Yorkers Safe Also Means Making Sure They Feel Safe”
In response, Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus defended the city’s approach, saying the mayor remains committed to protecting all residents, including immigrants.
“The job of a mayor is to protect the safety of every single person in their city — and that’s exactly what Mayor Adams has worked to do every day for nearly four years,” Altus said in a statement to The Hill. She added, “Keeping New Yorkers safe also means making sure they feel safe.”
Altus acknowledged, however, that the mayor has expressed interest in reexamining parts of the city’s sanctuary laws, particularly those that may prevent law enforcement from dealing with repeat or violent offenders.
The city is currently reviewing the federal lawsuit, Altus added.
A Broader Legal and Political Fight
The Trump administration has made cracking down on sanctuary policies a central pillar of its second-term law enforcement strategy, arguing that state and local defiance of federal immigration laws threaten public safety.
Critics of sanctuary cities often point to high-profile crimes committed by individuals who were previously arrested but released without ICE notification, while defenders of the policies say they protect vulnerable communities and foster trust in law enforcement.
With the legal battle now underway, the case could set a significant precedent on federal immigration authority — and could determine how far cities like New York can go in shielding illegal immigrants from removal.
The Department of Justice has not announced when hearings will begin, but observers expect the case to move quickly given its national implications.
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