The Justice Department sued the state of Connecticut and the city of New Haven on Monday over sanctuary policies that federal officials say have allowed criminal illegal immigrants to evade federal deportation for years.
The suit targets Connecticut’s Trust Act and a 2020 executive order from New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker. Both policies restrict when local law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration detainers.
“Upon information and belief, the conduct of officials in Connecticut obstructing and refusing to comply with federal immigration laws over a period of years has resulted in countless criminals being released into Connecticut who should have been held for immigration removal from the United States,” the lawsuit states.
Since 2020, only 20% of those federal immigration detainers submitted to Connecticut authorities have been honored. That means 4 out of every 5 requests to hold a criminal alien for ICE pickup were simply ignored.
U.S. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said the administration has had enough. “For years, Connecticut communities have paid the price of these misguided sanctuary policies,” he said. “This lawsuit seeks to end such open defiance of federal law.”
The DOJ is asking a federal judge to strike down both the state law and the city order as preempted by federal immigration statutes.
New Haven’s mayor pushed back at a press conference Monday, calling the lawsuit misleading. Elicker said the city does hold accountable immigrants who commit violent crimes, but draws a distinction for those living peacefully. He accused the Trump administration of mounting an overly aggressive campaign against immigrant communities.
The new cases bring the total number of DOJ sanctuary city lawsuits to 16. Previous targets include Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and New York City. All are believed to be pending in federal court.
