Joint Statement from 11 State Attorneys General: State and Local Law Enforcement Cannot be Commandeered for Federal Immigration Enforcement
January 23, 2025/
A coalition of state attorneys general including Attorney General Anthony G. Brown of Maryland as well as Attorneys General from California, New York,聽Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Mexico, and Vermont, issued a joint statement addressing a memorandum from a Trump-era appointee at the聽U.S. Department of Justice regarding state and local roles in federal immigration enforcement. According to the statement, the longstanding Supreme Court precedent, particularly in the case of Printz v. United States, establishes that the U.S. Constitution聽prohibits the federal government from compelling states to enforce federal laws.聽 It mentioned that while the federal government can allocate its own resources for immigration enforcement, it cannot mandate state or local officers to perform these duties, as this would undermine the principles of federalism foundational to the American system.
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