CHICAGO (NewsNation) — The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Thursday against Chicago, Cook County and the state of Illinois, accusing officials of interfering with immigration enforcement efforts.
The suit comes on the heels of a federal judge blocking President Donald Trump’s executive order preventing the children of migrants without legal status from receiving birthright citizenship for the second time this week.
Chicago and Illinois leaders vow to fight DOJ
Local leaders are pushing back against the Trump administration, asserting the city maintains its welcoming status despite federal pressure.
The DOJ’s lawsuit argues Chicago’s state and local laws — such as the Illinois Way Forward Act, the Illinois Trust Act and Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance, which limit local police cooperation with ICE agents — interfere with the federal government’s immigration enforcement.
Additionally, it argues the supremacy clause of the Constitution gives the federal government the right to create and enforce laws without interference from states.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker defended the laws.
“Unlike Donald Trump, Illinois follows the law,” he said, adding that the Trust Act was signed into law by a Republican governor and “has always been compliant with federal law and still is today.”
“We look forward to seeing them in court,” Pritzker said.
Sheriff: Illinois Trust Act ties our hands
Some local law enforcement officials, such as Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana, argue the current legislation prevents their ability to do their jobs effectively.
“The Trust Act does not allow us to call immigration and say this person has an issue and could be dangerous — and this is where I’m concerned about public safety — this person could be dangerous, you might want to take a look at this. We can’t do that,” he said.
In a social media post, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the lawsuit is under review by the city’s law department and reaffirmed the city’s commitment to protecting residents.
Earlier this week, Johnson accused the Trump administration of trying to undermine Chicago’s humanity and called for Congress to pass immigration reform.
