Federal judge dismisses Trump suit against LA sanctuary ordinance, vindicating local limits on immigration cooperation

The administration's lawsuit targeted Los Angeles' 2024 sanctuary ordinance, formally titled 'Prohibition of the Use of City Resources for Federal Immigration Enforcement,' enacted by the city council in November 2024. This ordinance codified into municipal law restrictions that previously were governed by internal policies like LAPD Special Order 40 (1979), which bars officers from inquiring about immigration status or acting solely to enforce civil immigration law. The lawsuit alleged the ordinance violated the Supremacy Clause and federal immigration statutes, but Judge Gee rejected that claim, holding that local jurisdictions retain the power to set their own law enforcement priorities and that the ordinance does not conflict with federal law. According to a December 2024 councilmember page, Los Angeles is home to 'more than 1.35 million immigrants' (Council District 4 press release, Nov. 19, 2024). The ruling protects these residents from being drawn into deportation proceedings through routine police interactions, preserving trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement. While the dismissal is a clear win, it does not immunize LA from future administrative pressure—the administration continues to pursue similar preemption lawsuits against other jurisdictions. Notably, the CNN June 2026 report on sanctuary city litigation mentions active cases against Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, and Maine in the context of newer license-plate lawsuits; Boston is the most recent sanctuary-ordinance dismissal. The status of lawsuits against New York, Illinois, or California itself was not confirmed in the reviewed sources. The fight continues as the administration presses appeals and seeks to condition federal grants on cooperation under Project 2025's enforcement-first agenda.