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A federal judge has dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit challenging Rochester’s sanctuary city policies.
Judge Frank Geraci of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York granted the city’s motion for dismissal, and ruled that case cannot be amended or refiled.
“This is a win. This is a win for the residents of Rochester,” said Mayor Malik Evans at a press conference Wednesday announcing the dismissal. “And as I said almost a year ago, who would have ever thought that a medium-sized city on the banks of Lake Ontario—we still call it Lake Ontario—would be defending ourselves against the richest, most powerful government in the world that is supposed to be supporting us, not suing us.
“Rochester is and will remain a sanctuary city,” he added. “And I want to add that this was also always about making sure that the federal government did not bully the little guy. This was about the federal government not pushing around cities like Rochester.”
The U.S. Department of Justice brought its suit against the city in April 2025, alleging that Rochester’s sanctuary city policies unlawfully hinder federal immigration enforcement efforts. The department argued that the sanctuary city policies violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution; intentionally obstruct communication between state, federal and local law enforcement agencies; and undermine national efforts to address illegal immigration.
Rochester first established itself as a sanctuary city in May 1986. The city reaffirmed its sanctuary status in 2017, prohibiting the Rochester Police Department from investigating an individual’s immigration status to enforce federal immigration laws. RPD officers can investigate immigration status if there is criminal activity involved.
Last November, the suit against the city was dismissed because the federal government had failed to state what relief it sought and also because it had failed to address the city’s amendment to its sanctuary laws approved in August 2025.
In December, the Justice Department amended its complaint. The city responded with its motion to dismiss the suit.
“Just last summer we doubled down on our commitment to maintain Rochester as a sanctuary city,” said Rochester City Council President Miguel Meléndez Jr., referring to the city’s expanded sanctuary city law. “This ruling validates the work we are doing to uphold the Constitution of the United States while protecting families in our community. We are a welcoming city, and today we get to continue celebrating that principle with this victory.”
Evans also highlighted the efforts of community organizations and leaders responding to federal policy changes over the past 20 months. Save My Snap is one of them. It is an initiative led by Foodlink to help local families affected by cuts to the food program, as well as efforts by Trillium Health and other health care organizations to raise awareness of pending Medicaid cuts, city officials say.
The Rochester area has been subject to raids from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Most recently, ICE agents were seen at Ibero-American Action League, which left many in the community concerned.
The Beacon asked Evans how Rochesterians could help. He suggested connecting with organizations that are already doing the work and need support, including Spiritus Christi, Ibero and Refugees Helping Refugees.
“Talk to those organizations. Volunteer for those organizations. Have those conversations,” Evans said. “I think that that is critical for community members because when you do those things, you start to realize your own power.”
David Wazana is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and a member of the Oasis Project’s second cohort. Smriti Jacob is the Beacon’s managing editor.’
The Beacon welcomes comments and letters from readers who adhere to our comment policy including use of their full, real name. See “Leave a Reply” below to comment on this post. Comments of a general nature may be submitted to the Letters page by emailing [email protected].
Rochester!!! Guess what? You status as a sanctuary city has been granted by a judge who is politically influenced and that’s a fact. That said, what undocumented individual, or family for that matter, would want to settle and raise a family in Rochester, NY. Considering it has, it owns, the worst school district in NYS. Why would you want to settle in a city where education has decades of failure, decades. Where is the opportunity to escape one’s poverty without a quality education. I’d say go else were folks. And by the way, I’m all in on immigration. After all I immigrated here at age 12. So tell me all about the process. You know who else immigrated in Rochester? Adam Urbanski. Yup one of the “golden” voices in the RCSD. You would think he would show the undocumented, the illegal and the legal immigrant that education is paramount. What he has shown, what he has managed, is how to become a millionaire on the back of a failing school district.
While a comparison of the raids by ICE agents backed by Trump’s proclamations in the 2020s to raids by slave catchers backed by the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 is not altogether exact, I nevertheless hear faint echoes of a speech given in Syracuse by Rev. Jermain Wesley Loguen, himself a fugitive slave, asking the citizens of that city to declare it a “sanctuary” against enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act:
” Now, you are assembled here, the strength of this city is here to express their sense of this fugitive act, and to proclaim to the despots at Washington whether it shall be enforced here—whether you will permit the government to return me and other fugitives who have sought asylum among you, to the Hell of slavery. The question is with you. If you will give us up, say so, and we will shake the dust from our feet and leave you. But we believe better things. The immensity of this meeting testifies to the general consternation that has brought it together, necessarily, precipitately, to decide the most stirring question that can be presented, to wit, whether, the government having transgressed Constitutional and natural limits, you will bravely resist its aggressions, and tell its soulless agents that no slaveholder shall make your city and county a hunting field for slaves.”
Syracuse voted to resist.
Comparing slavery to the undocumented issue is interesting. While there is no comparison, maybe comparing the associated issues of the undocumented immigrant with the Nazi era. Oh wait, that’s been done already.