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Justice Department Sues Connecticut and New Haven Over Sanctuary Policies

The case tests how far states can limit cooperation with immigration agents before courts call such rules obstacles to federal law.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) seal on the J. Edgar Hoover Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) building in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, newly minted as the nation’s top law enforcement officer, said he doesn’t feel pressure to carry out retribution against Donald Trump’s political enemies even as he pledged fidelity to the president’s agenda.
New Haven Mayor

Overview

  • The Justice Department filed a civil suit against Connecticut and New Haven seeking to void the state’s Trust Act and the city’s Welcoming City order as unlawful barriers to immigration enforcement.
  • Federal lawyers named Gov. Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, and Mayor Justin Elicker as defendants and argued the policies are preempted by the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which makes federal law supreme.
  • The complaint cites a 20% rate of honored ICE detainers in Connecticut since 2020 and points to a March 26 directive that treats ICE detainers—requests that jails hold someone for federal pickup—as optional and limits what local agencies share with federal officers.
  • Local leaders pushed back, with Mayor Justin Elicker calling the claims misleading, Gov. Ned Lamont saying state law does not block federal agents, and AG William Tong calling the case baseless.
  • The filing is one of roughly 16 DOJ suits challenging similar policies nationwide, and a judge threw out a related case against Colorado and Denver last month, signaling an unsettled legal fight.