A federal judge, Mae A. D’Agostino, dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against New York State, which sought to enable immigration agents to conduct arrests in state and local courthouses. The ruling, issued on November 19, 2025, upheld a 2020 state law and two executive orders that restrict civil arrests near local courts and in state facilities, countering arguments made by the Department of Justice that these measures were unconstitutional. This decision represents another setback for the Trump administration's attempts to invalidate laws enacted by various cities and states that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

In a related case, a federal judge ruled that Suffolk County and the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office were financially liable for unlawfully detaining over 600 immigrants at the request of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2017. The court found that these individuals had been held despite having posted bail or resolved their criminal cases, violating their constitutional rights. This ruling coincides with an increase in immigration arrests in Suffolk County, where armed ICE agents have reportedly entered businesses to detain individuals, raising concerns about the impact of such actions on immigrant communities.

Additionally, data from federal court records revealed that more than 97% of immigrants detained during the Trump administration's 'Operation Midway Blitz' in Chicago had no prior criminal convictions. This operation resulted in the arrest of 614 immigrants, with only a small fraction having significant criminal histories. The discrepancy between the actual criminal backgrounds of those detained and the administration's portrayal of unauthorized migrants as criminals has been a recurring theme in immigration enforcement discussions.

These legal developments underscore the ongoing challenges and tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States, particularly as local and state governments seek to assert their rights and protect the due process of individuals within their jurisdictions. Advocates for immigrant rights continue to call for more humane enforcement practices that respect the legal rights of all individuals, particularly in light of recent rulings that emphasize accountability for unlawful detentions.