Justice Department sues Illinois over law hindering federal immigration efforts
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — The United States Department of Justice is suing Illinois over a workplace privacy law it claims interferes with federal immigration authority.
The DOJ filed the suit in the Northern District of Illinois, claiming the Right to Privacy in the Workplace, which went into effect on January 1st, 2025, prevents the enforcement of federal employment verification through the E-Verify program.
The suit names the state of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Labor, and Attorney General Kwame Raoul as defendants.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said, 'Any state that incentivizes illegal immigration and makes it harder for federal authorities to do their job will face legal consequences from this Administration.'
The E-Verify program allows employers to know if a prospective employee is legally eligible to work in the U.S. It was enacted in 2003. The system compares information from a worker's I-9 form to Social Security and Homeland Security records.
'The United States has preeminent authority to regulate the administrative processes governing Form I-9 documentation and inspection, and E-Verify,' the DOJ wrote. 'Illinois, therefore, has no authority to enforce laws that obstruct or otherwise conflict with federal immigration enforcement efforts by imposing additional regulations, requirements, and possible sanctions on employers that seek to participate in the federal 'E-Verify' program.'
to Illinois' law prevent employers from firing an employee if their information doesn't match.
The suit claims the Illinois workplace privacy law 'stand(s) as an obstacle to the accomplishment and execution of the full purposes and objectives of Congress—to root out unauthorized employment and to encourage an employer's voluntary participation in E-Verify.'
'Not only are these fines inconsistent with federal law, but such advance notice requirements could prompt an alien employee to not show up to work on the day of inspection or avoid detection by immigration authorities,' the lawsuit says.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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