Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit against Washtenaw County over immigration enforcement
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by the Trump administration that accused Washtenaw County officials of obstructing federal immigration enforcement operations.
The lawsuit filed on April 9 against Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia M. Dyer, Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit, and the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners challenged a resolution that restricted federal agents from entering county-owned buildings. Federal officials sought to have the resolution declared invalid.
However, Judge F. Kay Behm wrote on Friday that federal officials failed "to allege that Washtenaw County has done anything more than exercise its constitutional authority under the Tenth Amendment."
"The Constitution imparts much authority on the federal government. But neither the federal government nor the President may conscript local officials to enforce their will ... nothing in the text of the INA (Immigration and Nationality Act) requires the result the government seeks, and the government cannot otherwise compel localities to enforce the President's priorities in the manner it wishes," Behm wrote.
CBS News Detroit reached out to the Justice Department on Friday night and is awaiting a response.
Behm's decision came more than two months after county officials filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in June.
At the time the lawsuit was filed, federal officials claimed the county had "taken steps to shield illegal aliens from the reach of federal enforcement" by prohibiting county employees from sharing immigration information with federal immigration authorities, along with barring federal immigration law enforcement from Washtenaw County properties.
Dyer issued the following statement on Friday:
"As Sheriff, my role is to protect the people of our community, not to advance Trump's political agenda. Our community stands in solidarity with immigrants and supports the civil and constitutional rights of all people regardless of immigration status. The current climate demands bold, courageous leadership to defend our constitutional freedoms. I will not be intimidated by Donald Trump and my office will continue to prioritize providing just, compassionate public safety for our local community as local public servants."
