New York City faces federal lawsuit from the Trump administration targeting sanctuary policies dating back to 1989 that prevent authorities from honoring ICE detainer requests.

Federal immigration authorities are ramping up enforcement across New York City in a major 2025 crackdown, targeting “sanctuary” policies and sparking fierce backlash.

Concerns are mounting over the treatment of migrants being held in an ICE processing center in New York City. According to a report from the New York City news outlet The City, migrants held there describe the conditions as overcrowded and unsanitary.

The U.S. government on Thursday sued New York City, seeking to block enforcement of several local laws its says are designed to impede its ability to enforce federal immigration laws. In a complaint filed in Brooklyn federal court,

Among them were U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP — which patrols the U.S.-Canada border in New York — and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

Something unusual is happening in U.S. immigration courts. Government lawyers are refusing to give their names during public hearings. In June 2025, Immigration Judge ShaSha Xu in New York City reportedly told lawyers in her courtroom: “We’re not really doing names publicly.

President Trump has been in office for more than six months, and we are already seeing an impact in the Capital Region.