The Justice Department has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of New York over its 2020 Protect Our Courts Act, accusing the state of deliberately obstructing federal immigration enforcement by banning arrests near courthouses. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Albany, argues the law violates the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which gives federal law primacy over conflicting state statutes.
The suit claims New York’s law “purposefully shields dangerous aliens from being lawfully detained” and accuses the state of endangering public safety by hindering federal immigration agents’ ability to apprehend illegal immigrants in secure courthouse settings. The Department of Justice emphasized that courthouse arrests are often safer because individuals have already passed security screenings and are less likely to flee.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is leading the legal effort, condemned the law as part of a broader sanctuary agenda that has fueled crime and endangered Americans. “Lawless sanctuary city policies are the root cause of the violence that Americans have seen in California, and New York state is similarly employing sanctuary city policies to prevent illegal aliens from apprehension,” Bondi said.
The Protect Our Courts Act, passed during President Donald Trump’s first term, was widely celebrated by left-wing immigration activists but has since drawn sharp criticism from law enforcement and conservative leaders for protecting individuals who have violated federal immigration laws. The Justice Department views the statute as an open invitation for illegal aliens to exploit the judicial system without fear of federal consequences.
This latest lawsuit adds to a growing list of legal actions by the Trump administration targeting sanctuary jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with ICE. The Justice Department has already sued New York once this year over a separate law that restricts local cooperation with federal immigration officials. That case remains pending.
The timing of the lawsuit coincides with New York Governor Kathy Hochul facing tough questioning from Republicans in a U.S. House panel investigating state-level resistance to federal immigration law. GOP lawmakers also grilled the governors of Illinois and Minnesota over similar policies they say undermine national security and the rule of law.
