A federal judge threw out the lawsuit brought by the administration to invalidate New York City rules that limit cooperation between local police and federal immigration enforcement. The administration had brought the case in a Brooklyn federal court the previous July, contending that the city's policies ran counter to the Constitution's supremacy clause, under which federal law takes precedence over local ordinances.
A federal judge in Brooklyn ruled that the administration's attempt to compel New York City to honor immigration detainer requests from federal authorities could not proceed. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated afterward that the administration had sought to redirect city employees and resources toward federal deportation efforts — an effort the court ultimately rejected.
Reyes held that municipalities cannot be compelled by the federal government to take part in immigration enforcement efforts, with the ruling drawing on a local ordinance that, in the judge's view, strengthens public safety across New York City. The mayor's written remarks noted that the policies allow city resources to be directed toward community protection and public services, while also ensuring residents can seek government assistance without concern that doing so could expose them to immigration enforcement action.
Protests against immigration enforcement activity in New York City have drawn a broader public presence since Donald Trump took office again. A firearm incident involving ICE agents in the city drew renewed attention to the matter.
During the incident in Marble Hill, Oscar Belgal sustained a gunshot wound to the neck from ICE agents while his five-year-old child remained in a nearby vehicle. A contingent of agents had taken up a position in an adjacent private parking area while awaiting the operation.
More than a hundred elected officials have signed a letter asking parking lot and garage operators across New York City to stop leasing space to ICE, according to the mayor. A repair facility on Morton Street discontinued storage of internal-combustion vehicles following feedback from area residents.
Federal efforts under the Trump administration moved along several policy fronts to restrict how local and state governments handle cooperation with immigration enforcement. Signed by Trump in April 2025, an executive order directed the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to draw up a list of states and localities viewed as obstructing federal immigration operations, notify those governments of any legal tensions identified, and flag particular federal funding streams for potential suspension or withdrawal. The order directed those agencies to exhaust every legal avenue and enforcement tool at their disposal.
Lawsuits filed by the administration now target more than a dozen municipalities — among them Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Denver — each governed by officials aligned with the Democratic Party. A number of those legal challenges have been thrown out by federal judges.
