Federal judge dismisses Trump administration suit over NYC sanctuary laws

A federal judge in Brooklyn has thrown out the Trump administration's lawsuit challenging New York City's sanctuary policies, according to Courthouse News Service and a Townhall report relaying Reuters.

U.S. District Judge Ramón Reyes Jr. of the Eastern District of New York ruled Thursday that the federal government lacked standing to bring the case, Courthouse News reported. The Justice Department filed the suit in July 2025.

The arguments

The administration argued the city's rules, which let officials decline to hand over noncitizens without a judicial warrant and limit sharing of release dates and other details, violate the Constitution's Supremacy Clause.

Reyes rejected that, Courthouse News reported, finding that even with standing the preemption claims would fail. He wrote that no federal law compels states to join immigration enforcement and called the government's theory a "backdoor" around the Tenth Amendment.

The ruling does not stop ICE from operating or making arrests in the city, CubaHeadlines reported, citing Reuters; it means the city need not supply staff or resources.

Reactions

• Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement, quoted by Townhall, that the government sought to make city workers into deportation agents and lost.
• Murad Awawdeh of the New York Immigration Coalition welcomed the decision, Courthouse News reported.
• The White House and DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Courthouse News. No appeal had been reported.

Townhall noted the administration has sued more than a dozen Democratic-led cities, including Boston, and that judges have dismissed many of those challenges.