The U.S. Department of Justice sued the state of California Tuesday night, challenging provisions in three immigration-related state laws as unconstitutional, according to senior Justice Department officials.

The lawsuit alleges portions of the laws are pre-empted by federal law, and therefore violate the Constitution's supremacy clause. In addition to the state, the lawsuit will be filed against California Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Xavier Becerra. The DOJ will ask for a preliminary injunction against the laws.

The challenged laws include SB 54, the so-called “sanctuary state” law that limits state law enforcement interactions and information sharing with immigration authorities; AB 450, which bars private employers from cooperating with immigration agents in certain ways; and AB 103, which allows the state attorney general to inspect federal immigration detention facilities. Brown signed each of the bills last year.