City attorney outlines limits on local power as federal immigration enforcement cases move through courts

City Attorney Phan told the Duarte City Council on Aug. 26 that federal law preempts local authority over immigration enforcement and reviewed several active federal court cases that affect how federal agents may operate in Los Angeles County. The presentation summarized legal developments and the practical limits on city action while urging caution in public reporting.

The update focused on three legal strands: a federal injunction affecting targeted immigration operations in the Ninth Circuit, ongoing litigation over so-called sanctuary policies, and separate suits about the conditions of detention and access to counsel. Phan said the Ninth Circuit upheld a district court order restricting broad, pattern-based immigration detentions and that the federal government has sought emergency review at the U.S. Supreme Court. "The city is preempted by federal law, which grants federal law enforcement officers…