New York City faces federal lawsuit from the Trump administration targeting sanctuary policies dating back to 1989 that prevent authorities from honoring ICE detainer requests.

The Justice Department says city officials are intentionally obstructing enforcement of federal immigration law.

After a federal judge threw out the Trump Administration's lawsuit against sanctuary cities in Illinois, the government looks towards New York

Federal immigration authorities are ramping up enforcement across New York City in a major 2025 crackdown, targeting “sanctuary” policies and sparking fierce backlash.

The action comes days after an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer was shot in the face during an ambush robbery attempt.

The Justice Department filed suit against New York City, Mayor Eric Adams and other city officials to challenge the city's sanctuary laws for undocumented immigrants.

Mayor Eric Adams, whose corruption charges were dropped so he could help with deportations, is among the defendants in the suit, which argues the federal government has sole power over immigration.

The Justice Department on Thursday announced a lawsuit against New York City’s so-called sanctuary city policies, days after the Trump administration blamed those policies for the shooting of an off-duty US Customs and Border Protection officer in Manhattan.

The Trump administration sued New York City on Thursday over its “sanctuary” laws, continuing a monthslong effort to crack down on localities that try to shield undocumented immigrants from federal detainment efforts.

Something unusual is happening in U.S. immigration courts. Government lawyers are refusing to give their names during public hearings. In June 2025, Immigration Judge ShaSha Xu in New York City reportedly told lawyers in her courtroom: “We’re not really doing names publicly.