DOJ sues Connecticut, New Haven for ‘open disregard’ of federal immigration laws
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The US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Connecticut and its city of New Haven, arguing that their sanctuary policies interfere with the state’s enforcement of the state’s immigration laws.
The lawsuit names Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong, and New Haven and its Mayor Justin Elicker as defendants.
The complaint deals with the “Trust Act” and other state and sanctuary policies that the DOJ argues are illegal under federal law.
The DOJ says these policies have allowed “dangerous criminals” to be released into Nutmeg State communities. It also alleges that Connecticut and New Haven made “deliberate efforts” to argue that the lawsuit impedes federal enforcement, endangers people and is issued before the Sovereignty Clause of the US Constitution.
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Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said state laws “do not prevent federal authorities from enforcing immigration law.” (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
“For years, Connecticut communities have paid the price for these wrongful sanctuary policies,” Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the DOJ’s Civil Division said in a statement. “This lawsuit seeks to end a flagrant contempt of federal law.”
But Elicker argues that the lawsuit misrepresents the city’s immigration policies. He said the city will fight the case and he is sure they have done nothing wrong.
“The complaint filed by the federal government is false and misleading. There are actually quotes from the executive order that are ‘dot dot dot’ where they don’t finish the sentence and the last part of the sentence of the executive order actually explains the first part,” Elicker told Fox 61.
After Elicker was elected mayor in 2020, he signed an executive order barring law enforcement from requesting the immigration status of anyone they work with.
READ THE COMPLETE COMPLAINT FILED BY THE DOJ BELOW
The mayor said that his city and its employees have not done anything to interfere with the government’s efforts to strengthen the immigration law.
“Our employees comply with city, state and federal law as we have it, and we will continue to do so,” Elicker said.
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Lamont said in a statement that the state law “does not prevent federal authorities from enforcing immigration law,” adding that instead it “reflects a longstanding principle: the federal government cannot require states to use their own personnel or resources to carry out federal responsibilities.”
“We will vigorously defend Connecticut’s laws against federal lawsuits. Our Trust Act and related policies are consistent with the Constitution and reflect our responsibility to govern responsibly, protect public safety, and uphold the rights of all citizens,” the governor said.
“Connecticut respects the law and the constitutional roles of the federal and state governments,” he added. “Law enforcement in Connecticut prioritizes serious crime and works every day to keep our communities safe, while respecting the constitutional protections afforded to citizens and maintaining trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
The lawsuit was filed in Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong, and New Haven and its Mayor Justin Elicker. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Tong, in his statement, said “the citizens of Connecticut have exercised our right to pass state laws like the Trust Act that put public safety first and ensure that all people can trust and rely on law enforcement to keep us safe.”
“It is a shame that the President and the Department of Justice are not focused on public safety but are wasting federal resources in attacking Connecticut with a baseless case that has no basis in law or fact. Connecticut is not a ‘sanctuary’ state, whatever that means. This term is meaningless and has no basis in Connecticut law. We will protect Connecticut and Connecticut and fight this lawless attack with every fiber of our being,” he said.
The DOJ has sued Connecticut and its city of New Haven over their sanctuary policies. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
This is the latest DOJ effort to target sanctuary policies in cities and counties across the country.
Last month, a federal judge threw out a DOJ lawsuit accusing Colorado and Denver of interfering with immigration enforcement.
