The contractors who designed and built New York City’s emergency operations center at 7 World Trade Center that was destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, are shielded by immunity under the New York State Defense Emergency Act, a Southern District judge has ruled.

Alvin Hellerstein said that, like New York City, those firms are protected by the act, which grants immunity for actions taken to prepare for and respond to attacks on the state and the country.