Overview
- The federal lawsuit against Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken and Paterson was dismissed on Thursday, June 25, 2026, because the court found the Justice Department did not identify an injury that would be fixed by striking down only the municipal rules.
- Padin explained that the cities’ ordinances largely repeat the Immigrant Trust Directive, a statewide policy first issued in 2018 and recently codified into law, which already limits local cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement.
- The decision was without prejudice and gives the Justice Department 45 days to file a new complaint, with the judge noting that even a win against the four cities would not remove the statewide restrictions imposed by the directive.
- Mayors and local leaders hailed the ruling as a validation of policies meant to build trust with immigrant communities and to keep residents willing to report crimes and cooperate with local police.
- Key legal questions were not resolved by the ruling because it rested on standing; the opinion pointed out that examples cited by DOJ involved the county-run Essex County Correctional Facility, undercutting the government’s claimed injuries and leaving room for new legal strategies.