DOJ Sues Connecticut and New Haven Over Immigration Policies It Calls 'Deliberate, Disruptive Action'

The U.S. Department of Justice has sued Connecticut and the city of New Haven, alleging that state and local immigration policies unlawfully interfere with federal enforcement efforts.

The lawsuit targets Connecticut's Trust Act and a New Haven executive order, arguing that both measures obstruct cooperation with federal immigration authorities and violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Filed in federal court in Connecticut, the complaint says the Trust Act "intentionally obstruct[s] federal law enforcement" and amounts to "deliberate, disruptive action" that undermines public safety, as reported by CT Mirror.

The law generally bars Connecticut police and correction officials from honoring ICE detainer requests unless specific conditions are met, including the presentation of a judicial warrant or a qualifying serious criminal conviction. The Justice Department says the result is that some noncitizens wanted by immigration authorities are released rather than transferred to federal custody.

The lawsuit cites the case of Sanjay Sivan Walsh, a Jamaican national convicted in 2023 of two counts of second-degree sexual assault. According to the complaint, Connecticut correction officials declined to honor an ICE detainer, and Walsh was later arrested by federal immigration authorities in August 2025. The DOJ also says Connecticut has complied with fewer than 20% of federal civil immigration detainers issued since 2020.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong rejected the lawsuit, calling it "a baseless lawsuit that has no foundation in law or fact." He said Connecticut is a "sovereign state" with the right to enact the Trust Act, which he said was designed to "prioritize public safety and ensure that all people can trust and rely on law enforcement to keep us safe."

Tong also disputed the federal characterization of the state as a sanctuary jurisdiction, saying the term "has no basis in Connecticut law."

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker similarly pushed back, saying the DOJ had quoted his city's 2020 executive order in a "misleading" way and that claims it violates federal law were "blanketly untrue." He said city employees comply with city, state, and federal law and argued residents must feel safe contacting police and accessing municipal services. "We're proud to be a welcoming city," Elicker said.

The suit lands amid a wider Trump administration campaign against sanctuary jurisdictions. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said earlier this month that the federal government could reconsider whether major airports in sanctuary cities should continue processing international arrivals.

Republican lawmakers have also moved to codify penalties for jurisdictions that limit cooperation with ICE. In February, Rep. Lance Gooden introduced the End Sanctuary Cities Act, while Sen. Lindsey Graham unveiled a Senate version in January, saying "the end is near" for sanctuary policies.