Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over LA sanctuary city policy
A California court has dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit against Los Angeles over its sanctuary city ordinance, rejecting claims that the policy is unconstitutional. The judge ruled the city has the right to decide how to use its resources.
A California federal judge, Fernando Olguin, has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump's administration against Los Angeles over a city ordinance that limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The judge rejected the administration's argument that the policy was unconstitutional and granted permission to file an amended complaint.
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto hailed the ruling as a legal victory for the city, which saw a surge in ICE and border patrol raids last summer. "This order reinforces the well-established principle that local governments have the authority to decide how to use their personnel and resources," Feldstein Soto said in a statement. She emphasized that the ordinance aims to encourage crime victims and witnesses to come forward regardless of immigration status and does not obstruct federal immigration enforcement.
The lawsuit, filed last June, alleged that Los Angeles violated federal law by barring city resources from aiding immigration enforcement or collecting citizenship information. It came weeks after Trump deployed troops to quell protests in Los Angeles against deportation operations.
Judge Olguin on Saturday rejected the argument that the city unconstitutionally tried to regulate the federal government, finding instead that the ordinance "controls the actions of the city's own agents and agencies." The Trump administration has filed several similar lawsuits against Democratic-run jurisdictions, but federal judges have previously dismissed cases against Boston and Chicago.
