New York City’s sanctuary city policies are unconstitutional and make it harder for federal immigration officers to do their jobs, the US Justice Department says in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday.

The Trump administration has taken legal action against New York City's sanctuary city policy, claiming it obstructs immigration law enforcement and contributed to a recent incident where a border patrol agent was shot.

The federal government sued the city last week in an effort to permanently block policies that bar agencies from cooperating with ICE in some instances.