DOJ Files Lawsuit Against LA Sanctuary Law

(MENAFN) A lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California challenges Los Angeles' sanctuary policy, alleging it violates the Constitution's Supremacy Clause and two key federal information-sharing statutes. The suit claims the city's ban on cooperation with U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unless a suspect faces severe felony charges undermines federal law enforcement efforts.

The Justice Department, aiming to block the ordinance, seeks a court ruling against the policy that took effect on December 9, 2024, following a unanimous vote by the city council.

U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi sharply criticized the policy, stating that it has been "the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles," according to a statement released Monday. She emphasized that the lawsuit is in line with President Donald Trump’s broader goal to "end lawless sanctuary jurisdictions."

However, Los Angeles leaders strongly rejected these claims. Mayor Karen Bass, speaking to media on June 12 while visiting protestors opposing recent immigration raids, said: "To characterize what is going on in our city as a city of mayhem is just an outright lie." She argued that federal operations "terrorize families and harm our economy."

The controversial ordinance prohibits the use of city resources—funds, personnel, and property—for federal immigration enforcement, restricts data-sharing with ICE, and requires city jails to ignore detainer requests unless accompanied by a judicial warrant.

City officials defended the law, pointing out that it largely formalized restrictions already in place under California's 2017 Values Act, which survived a challenge in 2019 at the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that nearly 35% of Los Angeles County’s population is foreign-born.

California’s top leaders swiftly threw their support behind Los Angeles, with Governor Gavin Newsom dismissing the lawsuit as "political theater" in a written statement.

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