DOJ Sues LA Over Sanctuary City Policies: 4 Things to Know

Similar lawsuits have been filed by the DOJ in Chicago, Colorado, and New Jersey, targeting those jurisdictions’ sanctuary policies.

Anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protesters confront federal agents and California National Guardsmen in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on June 30 filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles over what it said are “sanctuary city” policies that shield illegal immigrants from deportation efforts, escalating a legal battle between the White House and Democrats in the state.

In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, lawyers for the DOJ argued that such policies block federal immigration enforcement and are illegal because only the federal government has the authority to enforce immigration law. The suit names the city, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and the City Council as defendants.

What the Lawsuit Says

“The City of Los Angeles’ Sanctuary City laws are illegal,” the DOJ’s lawsuit states. “Those laws and policies are designed to and in fact do interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.