A federal judge on Oct. 15 dismissed the federal government’s lawsuit challenging New York City’s sanctuary policy, saying that states are not obligated to participate in federal immigration enforcement.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sued New York City in July 2025, alleging that its sanctuary policy was unconstitutional and impeded the government’s ability to enforce federal immigration laws.
U.S. District Judge Ramon Reyes ruled that the administration lacked legal standing to bring the case, finding that federal law does not require states to assist with federal immigration enforcement.
“The United States’ preemption arguments amount to nothing more than a backdoor around the Tenth Amendment and rest on a false distinction between compelling local governments’ participation in federal immigration enforcement and prohibiting local governments from dictating how their personnel and other resources may be utilized towards federal immigration enforcement,” the judge said….