The Department of Justice sues the state of Connecticut and New Haven for “open defiance” of federal immigration laws
The lawsuit names the state of Connecticut, its Governor Ned Lamont, and Attorney General William Tong, as well as New Haven and Mayor Justin Elicker as defendants.
The complaint flies in the face of the state’s so-called “trust law” and other state and local sanctuary policies that the Justice Department says are illegal under federal law.
The Ministry of Justice claims that these policies allowed the release of “dangerous criminals” into communities in Nutmeg State. It also alleges that Connecticut and New Haven made “deliberate efforts” that the lawsuit says obstruct the enforcement of federal law, endanger people, and are preempted under the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said state laws “do not prevent federal authorities from enforcing immigration law.” (AP Photo/Jessica Hale, File)
“For years, Connecticut communities have paid the price for these misguided sanctuary policies,” Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said in a statement. “This lawsuit seeks to end this blatant defiance of federal law.”
But Elicker contends that the lawsuit misrepresents the city’s immigration policies. He said the city will face the lawsuit and that he is confident they did nothing wrong.
“The complaint filed by the federal government is false and misleading,” Elicker told Fox 61. “There are actually quotes from the executive order that have the phrase ‘dot dot’ where they don’t finish the sentence and the last part of the executive order’s sentence actually spells out the first part.”
After Elicker was elected mayor in 2020, he signed an executive order prohibiting law enforcement from demanding the immigration status of anyone they work with.
Read the full complaint filed by the Department of Justice below
The mayor said his city and its employees took no action to obstruct the federal government’s law enforcement efforts Immigration laws.
“Our employees are adhering to city, state and federal law with the executive order we have in place, and we will continue to do so,” Elicker said.
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State laws “do not prevent federal authorities from enforcing immigration law,” Lamont said in a statement, adding that they instead “reflect a long-standing principle: the federal government cannot require states to use their own personnel or resources to carry out federal enforcement responsibilities.”
“We will vigorously defend Connecticut’s laws against the complaints outlined in the federal government’s lawsuit,” the governor said. “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 residents.”
He added, “Connecticut respects the rule of law and the constitutional roles of both the federal and state governments.” “Connecticut law enforcement prioritizes serious criminal activity and works every day to keep our communities safe, while respecting the constitutional protections afforded to residents and maintaining trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
The lawsuit was filed against the state of Connecticut, its Governor Ned Lamont, and Attorney General William Tong, as well as New Haven and the city’s mayor, Justin Elicker. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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“The sovereign people of Connecticut exercised our right to pass state laws like the TRUST Act that prioritize public safety and ensure that all people can trust and rely on law enforcement to keep us safe,” Tong said in a statement of his own.
“It is a shame that the President and the Department of Justice are not focused on public safety but are wasting federal resources attacking Connecticut with a baseless lawsuit that has no basis in law or fact,” he said. “Connecticut is not a ‘sanctuary’ state, whatever that means. That term is meaningless and has no basis in Connecticut law. We will defend Connecticut families and Connecticut and fight this lawless attack with every fiber of our being.”
The Department of Justice has sued the state of Connecticut and its city of New Haven over their sanctuary policies. (Ting Xin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
This is the Justice Department’s latest effort to target sanctuary policies in cities and states across the country.
Last month, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice Colorado and Denver charged Interfering with federal enforcement of immigration laws.
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