Last week, the Trump administration filed a complaint against the state of New York over policies that block U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from arresting people at or near courthouses.

The primary law that the suit challenges is called the “Protect Our Courts Act," passed in 2020. The law shields individuals without documentation from being detained at or on their way to court.  

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said New York’s law “prevents illegal aliens from apprehension." Democrats, including state Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages, argued “we want people to go to court whether it’s paying a parking ticket or being a witness to crime.”  

Chair of the state Senate Judiciary Committee, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, told Capital Tonight he has spoken with state Attorney General Letitia James, who will be defending the state against the federal lawsuit when the time comes. 

“I’m sure there will be a vigorous defense because we believe strongly that this is frivolous lawsuit,” he said. 

Not everyone agrees. Last week, Capital Tonight reporter Kate Lisa spoke with Albany Law School professor Vin Bonventre, who said about the issue, “I can’t imagine a federal judge saying, ‘yes, the state is allowed to do this.'"

Hoylman-Sigal disagrees with Bonventre’s assessment.

“These are state courthouses. These are state courtrooms. And these are state court grounds,” he said.