The Daily Fuckup

On April 13, 2026, the Justice Department filed a complaint in federal court in Connecticut against the state of Connecticut, the city of New Haven, Gov. Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong and Mayor Justin Elicker. The lawsuit targets Connecticut’s Trust Act and New Haven’s 2020 Welcoming City executive order.

In its announcement, the department said the policies unlawfully limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The filing is part of the administration’s broader push against state and local measures it considers sanctuary policies.

Connecticut officials rejected that view. In a joint statement, Lamont, Tong and New Haven leaders said the state and city are acting within their legal authority and argued that the policies help keep residents willing to contact police, seek medical care and use public services without fear.

The case puts a familiar conflict back in front of a federal judge: how much cooperation states and cities can be forced to provide to federal immigration enforcement, and how far local governments can go in setting their own rules. The complaint now moves the dispute into the District of Connecticut, where the court will weigh the federal government’s claims against the state and city policies.