California Court Dismisses Trump Administration Lawsuit Over Los Angeles Sanctuary City Policy

Jun 23, 2026

A California court has dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit against Los Angeles's "sanctuary city" policy, which limits local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin ruled the city's ordinance is a constitutional use of its own resources. The administration, which may file an amended complaint, has seen similar lawsuits against Boston and Chicago dismissed.

Court dismissal ruling

▪The Trump administration was given permission to file an amended complaint following the dismissal.
▪U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin rejected the administration's argument that the city's policy was unconstitutional.
▪A California court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against Los Angeles over a city ordinance limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Los Angeles sanctuary policy

▪The Los Angeles ordinance bars city resources from being used to aid federal immigration enforcement operations.
▪The Los Angeles policy also prohibits using city resources to collect information about individuals’ citizenship status.

Trump administration immigration lawsuits

▪The Trump administration's lawsuit was filed in June 2025.
▪The Trump administration has filed several lawsuits challenging similar policies in other jurisdictions led by Democrats.
▪Federal judges have also dismissed Trump administration lawsuits brought against the cities of Boston and Chicago.
▪The lawsuit claimed Los Angeles's sanctuary city ordinance helped fuel riots during 2025 protests against the president’s deportation crackdown.

Federal-local authority dispute

▪Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto stated the ruling reinforces that local governments can decide how to use their own personnel and resources.
▪Judge Fernando Olguin found the ordinance permissibly "controls the actions of the City’s own agents and agencies," not the federal government.