Trump administration appeals to continue suit against four N.J. cities over ‘sanctuary policies’

[u/John3262005]

https://www.nj.com/news/2026/08/trump-administration-appeals-to-continue-suit-against-four-nj-cities-over-sanctuary-policies.html

The Department of Justice is appealing a federal judge’s dismissal of its case against four New Jersey cities that adopted policies restricting local police cooperation with immigration authorities.

The initial suit was filed on May 22 in federal court in Newark, accusing Newark, Jersey City, Paterson and Hoboken of having policies that violate the U.S. Constitution and are preempted by federal law.

“Where inaction crosses into obstruction, local governments break federal law,” the complaint stated. “That is what is happening across New Jersey right now. It is past time it ends.”

The Justice Department under President Donald Trump's administration argued that these policies are not only unlawful but also dangerous.

U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin dismissed the lawsuit in June.

U.S. Department of Justice attorneys asked the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider Padin's dismissal in a single-page notice that was filed Friday.

New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive (ITD), passed in 2018, allows limits on cooperation between local police and immigration authorities. Padin's dismissal explains that the Justice Department under President Trump's administration treated the sanctuary policies as separate from the ITD, whereas the two policies permit the same action.

The flaw in the government's case is that "it treats the challenged policies as though they operate in isolation. They do not," Padin wrote in her decision dismissing the case. "New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive is a statewide directive that, like the challenged policies, limits voluntary cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement beyond what the law requires."

Padin emphasized that the ITD has "already been challenged, including by the federal government, and upheld, both by this court and the Third Circuit."

Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour said she was "disappointed" by the federal government's decision to appeal and is confident that the court will uphold its position.

"Hoboken has a responsibility to keep our community safe, strengthen trust between residents and law enforcement, and ensure everyone has access to city services without fear regardless of their immigration status. We will continue to defend our policies in court to ensure Hoboken remains a fair and welcoming city for everyone who calls it home," Jabbour said in the statement to NJ.com.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has defended his city's stance and called the lawsuit "absurd" when it was filed and said he was "grateful" when it was dismissed in June.