A federal judge in California has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against Los Angeles over a city ordinance that limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The ruling, issued on Saturday by Judge Fernando Olguin of the US District Court for the Central District of California, rejected the administration's argument that the policy was unconstitutional. The judge granted the administration permission to file an amended complaint.
City Attorney Hails Ruling as Legal Victory
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto welcomed the decision on Monday, calling it a legal victory for the city. The city saw a surge in immigration raids by ICE and border patrol agents 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.
The ordinance, along with the Los Angeles Police Department's immigration-related policies dating back to Special Order 40 in the 1970s, aims to encourage victims and witnesses of crime to come forward regardless of their immigration status. Feldstein Soto emphasized that the policy “does not obstruct or impede lawful federal immigration enforcement operations.”
Lawsuit Challenged City's Sanctuary Policies
The administration's lawsuit, filed in June, alleged that Los Angeles violated federal law by enacting policies that bar city resources from being used to aid immigration enforcement or collect information about individuals' citizenship status. The lawsuit came weeks after Trump deployed troops to quell protests in Los Angeles against deportation operations.
Judge Olguin rejected the administration's claim 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.”
Broader Pattern of Legal Challenges
The Trump administration has filed several lawsuits challenging similar sanctuary policies adopted in Democratic-run jurisdictions. Federal judges have previously dismissed administration lawsuits against Boston and Chicago. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Los Angeles decision.
