Overview

• The Justice Department filed suit on July 24 against New York City and Mayor Eric Adams, accusing them of continuing to obstruct federal immigration law through sanctuary ordinances.
• The complaint invokes the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause to target five municipal provisions that limit cooperation with ICE and other federal agencies.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate warned that sanctuary policies have frustrated enforcement and endangered public safety.
• This action follows similar litigation against Los Angeles and the states of New York, Colorado and Illinois as part of the administration’s expanded immigration enforcement strategy.
• Mayor Eric Adams defended sanctuary protections as essential for public trust and urged the city council to revisit rules on violent offenders, though his proposed revisions have been rejected so far.