A California federal court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration challenging Los Angeles's immigration enforcement policies. U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin rejected the administration's argument that the city's ordinance, which limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities, was unconstitutional.
The ruling reinforces the principle that local governments have the authority to determine how their personnel and resources are utilized, according to Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto.
The administration's lawsuit, filed in June of the previous year, alleged that Los Angeles violated federal law by enacting policies that prohibited the use of city resources to assist immigration enforcement or collect information on citizenship status. This legal challenge followed the deployment of federal troops to Los Angeles amidst protests against deportation operations.
Judge Olguin determined that the ordinance controls the actions of the city's own agents and agencies, rather than unconstitutionally regulating the federal government. The Trump administration had previously filed similar lawsuits against other cities with policies restricting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, including Boston and Chicago, which also resulted in dismissals by federal judges.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision.