As rain fell outside an empty warehouse in New York’s Orange County last week, hundreds of demonstrators gathered to protest what is planned to be the site of a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center.

“No ICE Gestapo,” one sign read. Another declared, “Stop the ICE gulag.”

The protest reflects a broader national trend. An analysis from Princeton University found immigration-related demonstrations reached record levels in 2025 as activists mobilized against the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.

But demonstrations are only one front in the fight.

Democratic-led states have increasingly turned to the courts and state legislatures to challenge federal immigration enforcement. Several have passed laws requiring federal immigration officers to display identification or restricting the use of face coverings during enforcement operations.

The Justice Department has responded with lawsuits against states including California, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and several New England states, arguing they are attempting to regulate how federal officers carry out their duties.

“Despite that well-established precedent, New York recently passed bills, which Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law, that purport to do exactly what constitutional law says it cannot: subject federal officers to criminal laws that seek to regulate how those officers carry out their federal duties,” the Justice Department wrote in its most recent complaint, noting Hochul said the legislation was intended “to hold ICE accountable.”

Both sides argue the measures are rooted in public safety.

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