Judge throws out federal suit on Illinois, Chicago sanctuary policies
July 26 (UPI) -- A federal judge threw out a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against Illinois, Cook County and Chicago sanctuary policies that ban assisting in immigration-related matters.
On Friday, District Judge Lindsay Jenkins in Chicago dismissed the entire lawsuit, writing the U.S. Department of Justice lacked standing, though she allowed lawyers to amend their lawsuit by Aug. 22. Jenkins, who serves the Northern District of Illinois, was appointed by President Joe Biden.
Illinois is a blue state with a Democratic governor, Chicago mayor and Cook County state's attorney. Chicago is located in Cook County.
In the lawsuit filed in February, the DOJ accused the governments of blocking federal immigration law based on the 10th Amendment, which deals with state and federal powers.
DOJ hasn't yet publicly said whether there would be an appeal.
The Department of Homeland Security has increased deportation raids, particularly in big cities with sanctuary laws.
"The Sanctuary Policies reflect Defendants' decision to not participate in enforcing civil immigration law - a decision protected by the Tenth Amendment and not preempted by [the federal Immigration and Nationality Act]," Jenkins wrote in the 64-page ruling. "Finding that these same Policy provisions constitute discrimination or impermissible regulation would provide an end-run around the Tenth Amendment. It would allow the federal government to commandeer States under the guise of intergovernmental immunity - the exact type of direct regulation of states barred by the Tenth Amendment."
In their lawsuit, DOJ lawyers said sanctuary cities violate the U.S. Constitution's supremacy clause.
In 2017, then Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, signed the 2017 Trust Act, which prohibits state and local law enforcement from involvement in separation efforts with U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement, as well as other federal agencies. The law allows coordination among agencies.
A state law in 2021 prohibits local and state officialsgiving a person's custody status, release date or contact information with federal immigration officials.
Raunere was succeeded by J.B. Pritzker, who testified last month to a U.S. House committee about sanctuary policies. He was also named in the suit.
"Illinois ensures law enforcement time and energy is spent fighting crime - not carrying out the Trump administration's unlawful policies or troubling tactics," Pritzker spokesman Matt Hill said in a statement. "As the grandchild of Ukrainian refugees, the Governor's personal story shows how immigration is central to America's story, economy and culture. He told it to Congress when he laid out how Illinois follows the law and would like the feds to follow suit."
Pritzker posted on X that "Illinois just beat the Trump Administration in federal court. Their case challenging the bipartisan TRUST Act was dismissed -- unlike the President, we follow the law and listen to the courts."
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul noted in 1997 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal officials may not "impress into its service - and at no cost to itself -- the police officers of the 50 States."
In 1985, then-Chicago Mayor Harold Washington signed an executive order declaring it a sanctuary city. In 2006, Chicago enacted the Welcoming City ordinance, which allows all residents to obtain city services, including police protection and medical care.
"We will continue to fight for the dignity of our immigrant, migrant, and refugee communities and stand up for the rights of all Chicagoans against any federal overreach," Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who was named in the suit, said in a statement to WLS-TV.
The federal lawsuit also targeted Cook County, which bans ICE agents from the county jail or other places unless they have a criminal warrant not relayed to immigration.
"The Trump administration's continued attempts to bully local communities into adopting their preferred policies are not only unlawful, but counter to our values and ability to fight crime effectively," Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke said in a statement. "We need victims and witnesses of crime to feel comfortable coming forward, just as we are compelled to hold those who commit crimes accountable."
The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois said in the statement that the court "was correct to reject the Trump Administration's lawsuit and to allow public officials in Illinois and Chicago to follow our policies that prioritize local public safety and welfare over federal civil immigration enforcement."
Trump in an executive order on Jan. 25 stripped sanctuary cities of all federal funding.
In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced her agency was filing a civil lawsuit against state of New York over immigration enforcement.
"This is a new DOJ. We are taking steps to protect American citizens," she said with federal agents behind her. "As you know, we sued Illinois, and New York didn't listen ... you're next."
Lawsuits also have been filed against California and New Jersey.
There are 13 sanctuary states, including New York and Illinois. In addition, there are sanctuary cities outside them, including Atlanta; Louisville, Ky.; Baltimore; and New Orleans as well as several designated counties.
None are in Texas or Arizona, which border Mexico. The other two border states, New Mexico and California, have sanctuary laws.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
2 minutes ago
- Axios
EU trade deal with Trump helps Europe ditch Russian fuels
The new trade deal that President Trump unveiled with the European Union includes a European pledge to buy $750 billion worth of U.S. energy. Why it matters: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it will help the bloc further wean itself off Russian gas. The $750 billion is spread across three years, she told reporters in Scotland on Sunday. The big picture:"We still have too much Russian LNG that is coming through the back door ... to our European Union," von der Leyen said, and also cited some continued oil shipments. "We want to absolutely get rid of Russian fossil fuels, and therefore it is much welcome to purchase the more affordable and better LNG from the United States," she said. EU pipeline imports of gas from Russia, once its dominant supplier, have fallen greatly. But imports of Russian LNG remain substantial. What we're watching: EU members' purchases of U.S. LNG and oil have risen sharply since Russia invaded Ukraine. And European energy companies have already been signing deals for future LNG volumes from U.S. projects that are planned or already under construction. The bottom line: Details are lacking. The big question is how much this increases purchases that would have occurred anyway. ClearView Energy Partners, in a note, said that even if the $250B annually includes existing U.S. energy exports to the EU of roughly $78B per year, it would still be a big jump. The total "would far outstrip" U.S. energy purchases in Trump's "phase one" deal with China, ClearView said.
NBC News
3 minutes ago
- NBC News
Trump strikes a deal with the E.U., and a bipartisan duo wants the Epstein files: Weekend Rundown
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a trade agreement with the European Union that would set tariffs at 15%, ending what had been months of uncertainty surrounding trade with the United States' largest trade partner. The tariff rate is a reduction from the 30% that Trump threatened on July 12 and the 20% he said he would impose on April 2. Announcing the agreement, Trump said the E.U. will not impose a tariff on U.S. imports. He added this agreement was 'satisfactory to both sides.' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday alongside Trump that the pact 'will bring stability. It will bring predictability. That's very important for our businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.' However, Trump said 50% tariffs on steel would remain unchanged and more tariffs could still be on the way for pharmaceutical products, which Ireland is one of the top sources of. Trump recently threatened 200% tariffs on pharma goods. 'Meet the Press' Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who are working together to push the Trump administration to release federal files related to Jeffrey Epstein, disagreed over whether Trump should pardon Epstein's longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Massie told NBC News' 'Meet the Press' during a joint interview with Khanna that 'whatever they need to do to compel [Maxwell's] testimony, as long as it's truthful, I would be in favor of.' Khanna, on the other hand, said, 'No, I don't' believe that Maxwell should be pardoned or have her sentence commuted and that he is 'concerned' that she met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last week. 'Look, I agree with Congressman Massie that she should testify, but she's been indicted twice on perjury. This is why we need the files,' Khanna added. In a separate interview, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he would defer to the president on whether Maxwell should be pardoned, telling moderator Kristen Welker, 'That's not my lane.' Johnson later added, 'If you're asking my opinion, I think 20 years was a pittance. I think she should have a life sentence at least. I mean, think of all these unspeakable crimes, and as you noted earlier, probably 1,000 victims. I mean, you know, this, this is, it's, it's hard to put into words how evil this was.' Politics in brief Close to home: Democrats are planning to make Rep. David Valadao's support for Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' — and his vote for Medicaid cuts — a focal point of their campaign in a key midterm race. Charting old territory: As Texas Republicans plow ahead with a plan to redraw congressional maps ahead of schedule, many governors are increasingly grappling with the issue sooner than expected. First up: The Democratic Party shook up its presidential primary schedule in 2024, placing South Carolina out in front. State leaders want to keep it that way in 2028. More South Carolina: Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the Freedom Caucus, announced he is running for governor, looking to succeed GOP Gov. Henry McMaster. As Israel announces a 'tactical pause' in fighting, Sen. Lindsey Graham says there's no way to negotiate with Hamas Israel announced it was pausing fighting in some areas of the Gaza Strip to facilitate aid delivery after international outrage swelled in recent days over surging deaths by malnutrition and widespread starvation caused by Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid. The announcement issued by the Israel Defense Forces said it would be implementing 'humanitarian corridors' for the safe movement of United Nations aid trucks and 'humanitarian pauses' in some of Gaza's most densely populated areas. Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in an interview on NBC News' 'Meet the Press' that he believes there is no way for Israel to safely negotiate an end to the war with Hamas and that Israel would take over Gaza, comparing the move to U.S. actions at the end of World War II. 'They're going to do in Gaza what we did in Tokyo and Berlin, take the place by force and start over again, presenting a better future for the Palestinians, hopefully having the Arabs take over the West Bank and Gaza,' he later added. How armed gangs are hunting the internet's high rollers As the price of bitcoin rises, criminals are increasingly reaching beyond cyberspace, with a growing number of real-life kidnappings aiming to empty people's crypto wallets. Crypto-related abductions increased every year since 2019, an NBC News analysis found, with a review of news reports and legal documents identifying 67 incidents of crypto kidnapping in 44 countries involving a target or their family member. Muhammad Arsalan, a 23-year-old crypto influencer from Pakistan, was forced to surrender $340,000 worth of tether when he was kidnapped and held at gunpoint in December. 'I had no options left. This is my whole life savings. This is all my life's money,' Arsalan said. Food manufacturers across the U.S., big and small, are facing hurdles as they seek to phase out synthetic food dyes. Kraft Heinz, Nestle, General Mills and major ice cream makers have all recently vowed to shift to natural coloring amid the Trump administration's push to eliminate artificial dyes from the country's food supply, as well as a broader movement by states to ban them because of safety concerns. The transition presents challenges for food companies in developing reliable, cost-effective natural dyes, which are generally more expensive and difficult to make, requiring higher concentrations to achieve the same hue. The shift has also raised questions about the long-term impact of natural dyes on consumers' health. The Texas-based Atkinson Candy Company, which makes the Chick-O-Stick candy bar, is among smaller manufacturers struggling to maintain a distinctive hue while phasing out synthetic food dyes. 'They say in the industry that taste is king, but color is queen,' CEO Eric Atkinson explained. 'The queen is very important.' Notable quote The former senior CIA officer who helped oversee the intelligence assessment on Russia's interference in the 2016 election told NBC News that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and the White House are 'lying' when they claim that it was an attempt to sabotage Trump. In case you missed it Michigan officials are seeking a terrorism charge in addition to 11 counts of assault with intent to murder against a man who allegedly stabbed nearly a dozen people at a Walmart in what they described as a seemingly random attack. The Illinois man who was sentenced to 53 years in prison for the murder of a young Palestinian American boy in a 2023 hate crime died in prison, authorities said. Four adults were arrested after being accused of abusing nine children in their home by caging them with plywood under a bunk bed and spraying them in the face with vinegar as a form of punishment, Florida officials said. Beyoncé reunited Destiny's Child for the final 'Cowboy Carter' tour date, with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams appearing onstage in Las Vegas. Thailand and Cambodia on Sunday an end to a deadly border dispute following mediation efforts by Trump, who has pressed for ceasefire talks. back-to-back Women's European Championships.
Bloomberg
3 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Australia Signs Defense Pact With UK
Happy Monday, it's Carmeli in Sydney here to bring you all the latest news to start your week. Today's must-reads: • Australia and the UK sign submarine pact • Australia strengthens India trade • EU wins lowered 15% tariff rate from US Australia and the UK signed a landmark 50-year defense treaty on Saturday to underpin the construction of nuclear-powered submarines, senior ministers from both nations said. Both sides stressed that the treaty doesn't impact the Aukus security partnership between Australia, the UK and the US — currently under review by the Trump administration.
