U.S. judge upholds New York law barring immigration agents from courthouses

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By Jan Wolfe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. judge rejected on Monday a Trump administration challenge to a New York law that blocks immigration officials from arresting individuals at, or near, state courthouses.

Republican President Donald Trump has stepped up immigration enforcement in Democratic-led cities, such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., in his bid to deport record numbers of immigrants without legal status.

In a 41-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that sought to block a 2020 state law known as the Protect Our Courts Act.

The lawsuit, filed in June, said it violated the “supremacy clause,” a constitutional provision by which federal law supersedes conflicting state laws.

D’Agostino rejected that argument, saying New York was “protect[ing] its sovereign interests in the face of undue federal interference.”

A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Since Trump’s return to the White House in January, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have adopted a strategy of arresting migrants appearing in court for their immigration cases.

State courthouses have been an attractive venue for ICE, as people reliably appear for court dates and are typically screened by security.

Advocates and some officials have resisted attempts by ICE to operate in state courthouses, saying such efforts risk disrupting court operations and dissuading millions of people from accessing the legal system.

The New York law, enacted during Trump’s first term, says ICE agents can arrest people at or near courthouses only if they have a court order or criminal warrant signed by a judge.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said New York’s law and similar measures in other states endanger the public.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe in Washington; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)