DOJ sues Illinois and Chicago over immigration policies
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Pam Bondi, U.S. attorney general, before a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office on Wednesday. Photo: Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Trump administration is suing the city of Chicago, Cook County and the state of Illinois over sanctuary laws that prohibit local law enforcement from aiding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in arresting undocumented immigrants.
Why it matters: The lawsuit puts legal pressure on Illinois and other immigration-friendly states as President Trump works to fulfill his campaign promises for mass deportations.
Zoom in: The Justice Department suit claims that local laws impede the federal government from enforcing federal immigration law.
- The complaint says the local laws are "designed to and in fact interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government's enforcement of federal immigration law in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution."
Context: Chicago's sanctuary city ordinance dates back to 1985.
Zoom out: The lawsuit comes as Trump has ramped up illegal immigration enforcement in Chicago and other major cities since taking office just over two weeks ago.
- Newly sworn-in Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Wednesday that the Department of Justice will withhold federal grants to the Chicago Police Department because of the city's ordinance.
- The DOJ has also threatened to prosecute local officials like Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker over immigration policies.
What they're saying: "Unlike Donald Trump, Illinois follows the law," a spokesperson for Pritzker said in a statement. "Illinois will defend our laws that prioritize police resources for fighting crime while enabling state law enforcement to assist with arresting violent criminals. We look forward to seeing them in court."
- Pritzker has previously said he welcomes the removal of violent criminals who are undocumented, but stopped short of advocating to change the state law.
- Johnson has not commented on the lawsuit but addressed the challenges to Chicago's law at a Tuesday press conference.
- "I don't believe this is just simply about sanctuary cities; this is really about our democracy," he said. "There are two positions — do you support the constitutional rights for equal protection under the law or do you not?"
What's next: Johnson accepted an invitation to testify before the U.S. House Oversight Committee on March 5 about the city's sanctuary city policies.
