A federal judge has dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit against four New Jersey cities over their sanctuary policies, handing the Department of Justice another setback in its effort to challenge local limits on cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin on Wednesday dismissed the lawsuit against Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Hoboken, ruling that the Justice Department lacked standing to sue because the municipalities' policies mirror New Jersey's statewide Immigrant Trust Directive. As a result, striking down the cities' ordinances would not remedy the federal government's complaints since local police would still be bound by state rules.
