The Justice Department is throwing its weight behind a federal lawsuit led by the City of Huntington Beach and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, arguing that California’s 2017 “sanctuary” law violates the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution by blocking local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
In a 36-page statement of interest filed last week, the Trump administration’s DOJ called California’s law, known as the California Values Act, “unlawful” and asked a federal judge to rule in favor of Huntington Beach’s challenge.
The Trump administration argues the law has actively undermined Immigration and Customs Enforcement by forcing ICE officers to arrest criminal noncitizens in public neighborhoods rather than in secure jails — putting agents, arrestees, and the public at greater risk.
“By prohibiting law enforcement agencies from ensuring the safe transfer of criminals from state to federal custody in the secure environment of detention facilities, the CVA has left ICE no choice but to arrest those criminals in neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles, putting agents and detainees alike at higher risk,” DOJ attorneys wrote in the brief.
The filing marks a rare instance of the DOJ inserting itself into a state versus local dispute. But DOJ lawyers said the federal government has a “substantial interest” in ensuring federal immigration laws are enforced without obstruction.
Huntington Beach officials passed a resolution declaring the city a “non-sanctuary” jurisdiction in January before suing California over the CVA in March. America First Legal, a conservative legal group founded by President Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, is representing both the city and Bianco.
In a press release, AFL said the DOJ’s support reinforces its position that the CVA unlawfully discriminates against federal agents and prevents basic cooperation — including information sharing and ICE detainers.
“We are grateful for the federal government’s support for America First Legal and the plaintiffs in this case in their fight against California’s illegal sanctuary laws,” said James Rogers, senior counsel at AFL.
The lawsuit also targets Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Attorney General Rob Bonta, claiming that California is illegally shielding criminal aliens in violation of both federal law and state penal codes.
California’s attorney general’s office has moved to dismiss the case, arguing the state has every right to prioritize public safety and community trust over federal immigration priorities.
“Instead of focusing on this vital responsibility, Huntington Beach is attempting to relitigate settled law in a misguided attempt to divert its limited resources to federal immigration enforcement,” Bonta said earlier this month. A hearing on the motion to dismiss is scheduled for August.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF ICE RAIDS IN SANCTUARY CITIES
The Trump administration has taken similar actions in recent months, filing lawsuits against sanctuary-style policies in New York, Chicago, and Denver.
This move also aligns with a broader pattern of DOJ involvement in lawsuits brought by right-leaning legal groups. On June 17, the Firearms Policy Coalition praised the Trump DOJ for backing its federal challenge to Illinois’s so-called assault weapons ban, calling it a “critical step” in fulfilling the president’s pledge to defend Second Amendment rights.
