DOJ sues Connecticut, New Haven over ‘open defiance’ of federal immigration laws

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Connecticut and the city of New Haven, arguing that their asylum policies interfere with federal enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws.

The lawsuit names Connecticut, Governor Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong as defendants, as well as New Haven and Mayor Justin Elicker.

The complaint concerns the state’s “so-called Trust Act” and other state and local asylum policies that the DOJ argues are illegal under federal law.

The DOJ alleges these policies allowed “dangerous criminals” to be released into communities in the Nutmeg State. Additionally, Connecticut and New Haven are alleged in the lawsuit to have engaged in a “deliberate effort” to obstruct the enforcement of federal laws, put people at risk and claim immunity under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

DOJ FILES NEW JERSEY FOR EXECUTIVE ORDER LIMITING COOPERATION ON ICE AND EXPANDING SANCTUARY STATUS

“Connecticut communities have paid the price for these misguided sanctuary policies for years,” Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said in a statement. “This lawsuit seeks to end such blatant defiance of federal law.”

But Elicker claims the lawsuit misrepresents the city’s immigration policies. He said the city will fight the case and is confident they did nothing wrong.

Speaking to Fox 61, Elicker said, “The complaint filed by the federal government contains untrue information and is misleading. In fact, the executive order contains quotes that contain ‘dot by dot’ and do not complete the sentence, and the last part of the sentence of the executive order actually clarifies the beginning part.” he said.

After Elicker was elected mayor in 2020, he signed an executive order banning law enforcement from asking the immigration status of people they work with.

READ THE FULL COMPLAINT FILED BY THE DOJ BELOW

The mayor said his city and its staff did not take any action that would impede the federal government’s efforts to enforce immigration laws.

“Our employees are complying with the executive order we have and both city, state and federal laws, and we will continue to do so,” Elicker said.

HOCHUL APPROVES LAW ALLOWING NEW YORKERS TO SUE ICE AGENTS: ‘POWER DOES NOT JUSTIFY ABUSE’

Lamont said in a statement that state laws “do not preclude federal officials from enforcing immigration law,” adding that they instead “reflect a longstanding principle: the federal government cannot require states to use their personnel or resources to carry out federal enforcement responsibilities.”

“We will vigorously defend Connecticut’s laws against the complaints outlined in the federal government’s lawsuit. Our Trust Act and related policies are consistent with the Constitution and reflect our responsibility to govern responsibly, protect public safety, and protect the rights of all residents,” the governor said. he said.

“Connecticut respects the rule of law and the constitutional roles of both federal and state governments,” he added. “Connecticut law enforcement prioritizes serious criminal activity and works every day to keep our communities safe, while respecting the constitutional protections afforded to residents and maintaining trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”

The lawsuit was filed against Connecticut, Governor Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong, as well as New Haven and Mayor Justin Elicker. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

“The sovereign people of Connecticut have exercised our right to pass state laws, such as the Trust Act, that prioritize public safety and ensure that all people can trust and rely on law enforcement to keep us safe,” Tong said in his own statement. he said.

“It is shameful that the President and the Department of Justice are not focused on public safety and are wasting federal resources to attack Connecticut with a baseless lawsuit that has no legal or factual basis. Connecticut is not a ‘sanctuary’ state, whatever that means. That term is meaningless and has no basis in Connecticut law. We will defend Connecticut and Connecticut families and fight this unlawful attack with every fiber of our being,” he said.

The Justice Department sued Connecticut and the city of New Haven over their sanctuary policies. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

This is the Justice Department’s latest effort to target sanctuary policies in cities and states across the country.

A federal judge last month threw out a DOJ lawsuit accusing Colorado and Denver of interfering with federal enforcement of immigration laws.