Trump administration sues Chicago over sanctuary city policy
'The conduct of officials in Chicago and Illinois minimally enforcing — and oftentimes affirmatively thwarting — federal immigration laws over a period of years has resulted in countless criminals being released into Chicago who should have been held for immigration removal from the United States,' government lawyers said in the complaint.
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Chicago has long been a target for Trump, who often rails against crime in the city. Local leaders doubled down on support of Chicago's 'welcoming city' ordinance ahead of Trump's inauguration, rejecting a proposal to scale back the sanctuary policy.
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The federal lawsuit challenges a state law passed in 2017 and strengthened in 2021 that broadly prohibited local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, as well as a Chicago policy and Cook County ordinance reflecting similar limitations.
In a statement, Pritzker's office said, 'Unlike Donald Trump, Illinois follows the law. The bipartisan Illinois TRUST Act, signed into law by a Republican governor, has always been compliant with federal law and still is today. Illinois will defend our laws that prioritize police resources for fighting crime while enabling state law enforcement to assist with arresting violent criminals.'
A spokesperson for Chicago didn't immediately provide a comment.
The case is USA v. Illinois, 1:25-cv-1285, US District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division (Chicago).
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