Miha Peče / Wikimedia Commons
Why It Matters
The Trump administration’s legal campaign against sanctuary jurisdictions marks a significant escalation in federal efforts to enforce immigration law at the local level. The outcome of these lawsuits could reshape how cities and states handle immigration enforcement cooperation and determine whether local officials can restrict federal agents’ access to public spaces.
What Happened
Since taking office in January 2025, the Trump administration has filed 27 lawsuits against more than 20 cities, counties, and states that have adopted sanctuary policies restricting immigration enforcement. In the past three months alone, the federal government sued Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, a Michigan county, and Philadelphia.
Sanctuary policies typically limit local law enforcement cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, restrict immigration enforcement in public spaces, and in some cases, prohibit federal agents from wearing masks or concealing their identities during operations. Some jurisdictions have maintained these policies since the 1980s.
The Justice Department argues that sanctuary laws violate the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution and conflict with established constitutional precedent. The legal strategy has produced mixed results in federal court. A federal judge appointed by Former President Joe Biden dismissed a lawsuit against four New Jersey cities—Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark, and Paterson—filed in May 2025 over their ICE cooperation restrictions. However, a Trump-appointed federal judge in Pennsylvania sided with the administration in its challenge to Philadelphia’s sanctuary ordinances.
Philadelphia’s City Council approved a package of seven immigration-related bills in April, with six now in effect. The city’s new rules bar immigration agents from wearing masks, concealing badges, or operating unmarked vehicles during enforcement actions. Council member Rue Landau characterized the measures as a local response to federal inaction, stating: “If the federal government won’t protect their residents, local leaders have the obligation to step up to the plate, and that’s exactly what we did here in Philadelphia.”
Maryland enacted a law effective May 31 that prohibits state and local officers from inquiring about immigration status or detaining individuals solely for immigration violations without a warrant. In response, sheriffs from 17 Maryland counties filed their own lawsuit seeking to block the state law.
The administration’s May lawsuit against New Jersey challenged a state law that prohibits immigration agents from concealing their identities during operations.
By the Numbers
- 27 lawsuits filed by the Trump administration against sanctuary jurisdictions since January 2025
- More than 20 cities, counties, and states targeted
- At least 6 jurisdictions sued in the past three months
- 7 immigration-related bills approved by Philadelphia City Council in April
- 17 Maryland counties represented in sheriffs’ lawsuit against the state’s immigration law
Zoom Out
The sanctuary movement gained momentum during the Obama administration and expanded under Former President Biden, with numerous localities enacting restrictions on immigration enforcement cooperation. Proponents argue these policies enhance public safety by building community trust. Cassandra Charles of the National Immigration Law Center stated: “These sanctuary policies are most times created to help make communities safer. They promote a greater level of trust and cooperation between communities and public institutions.”
The Trump administration views sanctuary policies as obstacles to immigration enforcement and argues they undermine federal authority. This litigation strategy represents one of the administration’s primary mechanisms for challenging what it views as obstructive local policies.
The divided results in federal courts—with rulings depending partly on the judicial philosophy of the presiding judge—suggest these disputes will likely reach appellate courts and possibly the Supreme Court before final resolution.
What’s Next
Additional lawsuits are expected as the administration continues challenging sanctuary jurisdictions. The cases currently moving through federal court will determine whether sanctuary policies can withstand constitutional scrutiny and whether the Trump administration can compel local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
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