Federal legal battles between the U.S. government and New York explored in comprehensive guide
The Trump administration has launched multiple lawsuits against New York and New York City, challenging policies that limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. These lawsuits target New York City's sanctuary statutes, the state Protect Our Courts Act, and the DMV Green Light Law, which grant driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.
The Protect Our Courts Act, enacted in 2020, prevents ICE agents from making arrests in protected areas without a signed judicial warrant. However, the Trump administration argues that this law interferes with federal immigration operations and violates federal law by limiting cooperation with federal authorities.
The lawsuit against New York City’s sanctuary statutes contests local regulations that prevent police from assisting federal immigration officers. The case against the DMV Green Light Law challenges New York’s policy allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.
Despite these suits, federal courts have dealt significant blows to the Trump administration’s efforts. For example, lawsuits targeting sanctuary laws have been dismissed or blocked citing constitutional protections like the Tenth Amendment. A federal judge in Illinois explicitly ruled against Trump's legal challenge to sanctuary laws, underscoring that such laws do not discriminate against the federal government and cannot be overruled under federal preemption arguments.
In New York City, the administration’s lawsuits have been met with resistance from city officials and immigrant advocates. The City Council has remained firm in upholding sanctuary laws, including opposing attempts to reopen federal immigration offices in local facilities like Rikers Island.
The Trump administration has also sued New York over the Protect Our Courts Act. A memo from earlier in the year directed court officers not to interfere with federal immigration arrests, even if they occur in a state courthouse. The Protect Our Courts Act lawsuit is the latest addition to the Trump administration's legal offensive against New York.
Gov. Hochul has defended the state law, and the chief administrative judge in New York has attested to the court system's commitment to upholding it. Mayor Eric Adams has criticized the immigrant protections, but the City Council has refused to roll back sanctuary laws.
As of mid-2025, these legal battles remain active but with the Trump administration facing setbacks in federal courts. The suits continue to be part of a broader federal effort under Trump’s administration to challenge state and local immigrant protections, but key judicial rulings have limited the administration's ability to enforce these policies nationwide.
[1] New York Times [3] CNN [4] The Hill
- The Trump administration's lawsuits against New York City and New York State, including those targeting the sanctuary statutes, the Protect Our Courts Act, and the DMV Green Light Law, are part of a broader federal policy-and-legislation effort aimed at challenging state and local immigration-related policy-and-legislation, as evidenced by their ongoing lawsuits in federal courts (The Hill, New York Times).
- The Trump administration's legal attempts to interfere with state laws regarding immigration, such as the Protect Our Courts Act and sanctuary policies, have been met with resistance from local politicians and immigrant advocates, with war-and-conflicts potentially resulting from this clash of politics and general-news interests (CNN).
