Attorney General James Successfully Defends New York’s Protect Our Courts Act

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after a federal judge dismissed the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit challenging New York’s Protect Our Courts Act: 

“Everyone deserves to seek justice without fear. This ruling ensures that anyone can use New York’s state courts without being targeted by federal authorities. 

"My office will continue fighting to defend the dignity and rights of immigrant communities throughout New York.” 

In 2020, Attorney General James secured a landmark ruling preventing the first Trump administration from conducting civil immigration arrests in and around New York courthouses. Later that year, New York codified those protections by enacting the Protect Our Courts Act. In June 2025, DOJ sought to strike down the law, but last night the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York dismissed the lawsuit, holding that nothing in federal immigration law preempts New York’s authority to safeguard access to its courts.