A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration that sought to block a Boston ordinance limiting local cooperation with U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The administration had argued that the city’s policy interfered with federal immigration enforcement efforts and represented an example of so-called “sanctuary city” protections that restrict cooperation with ICE detainers and administrative warrants.However, U.S.District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that the federal government lacked legal standing to pursue the case.

In his decision, he stated that the government failed to demonstrate that the alleged harms could be addressed through the relief it requested in court.

Sorokin emphasized that a federal district court is not intended to act as a general forum for policy disputes, but rather to resolve concrete legal injuries that are properly redressable.

The ruling also pointed out that Massachusetts state law already limits how local law enforcement agencies may cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

According to the court, even without the contested Boston ordinance, local police officers are prohibited from detaining individuals solely based on civil immigration detainers or administrative ICE warrants.As a result, the judge concluded that an injunction against the city ordinance would not meaningfully change the legal authority of Boston police.

The decision represents a legal setback for the Trump administration’s broader efforts to challenge sanctuary-style policies in cities that restrict cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.It also reinforces judicial limits on federal standing in disputes over local immigration enforcement frameworks.

The case underscores ongoing tensions between federal immigration authorities and local governments over enforcement priorities and jurisdictional boundaries.