Latest news with #10thAmendment
Los Angeles Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Trump expands L.A. military tactics by sending National Guard to Washington D.C.
In an expansion of tactics started in June during immigration raids in Los Angeles, President Trump on Monday announced he would activate 800 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. to help 'reestablish law and order' and 'take the capital back.' 'Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people,' Trump said at the White House briefing room. 'It's liberation day in D.C,' he declared. Trump, who sent roughly 5,000 Marines and National and Guard troops to Los Angeles in June in a move that was opposed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, is invoking section 740, of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, that places the DC Metropolitan police Department under direct federal control. But while Trump cited issues of violent crime in Washington — stating the city is 'totally out of control' — data show violent crime has declined significantly in recent years. Just a few weeks before before Trump took office, the Justice Department announced that violent crime in the city was at a 30-year low. Homicides were down 32%, robberies down 39% and armed carjackings down 53% when compared with 2023 levels, according to data collected by the Metropolitan Police Department. Trump's announcement that he was deploying troops to D.C comes two months after he sparked a major legal battle with California when he sent thousands of troops to L.A. He argued they were necessary to combat what he described as 'violent, insurrectionist mobs' as protests broke out in the city against federal immigration raids. But the protests calmed relatively quickly and local officials said they were primarily kept in check by local police. The National Guard troops and Marines wound up sparsely deployed in L.A. Some protected federal buildings, but most remained at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. Some of the deployed personnel assisted federal agents as they conducted immigration enforcement operations, but military officials said the troops were restricted to security and crowd control and had no law enforcement authority. The National Guard played a role in both the convoy that descended on MacArthur Park and the raid of cannabis farms in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. In June, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of San Francisco ruled that Trump broke the law when he mobilized thousands of California National Guard members against the state's wishes. In a 36-page U.S. District Court decision, Breyer wrote that Trump's actions 'were illegal — both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution.' Breyer added that he was 'troubled by the implication' inherent in the Trump administration's argument that 'protest against the federal government, a core civil liberty protected by the First Amendment, can justify a finding of rebellion.' But the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals paused that court order, allowing the troops to remain in Los Angeles while the case plays out in federal court. The appellate court found the president had broad, though not 'unreviewable,' authority to deploy the military in American cities.
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Latest federal list of ‘sanctuary' jurisdictions includes Chicago, Cook County and Illinois
The Department of Justice placed Chicago, Cook County, and the state of Illinois on its latest 'sanctuary jurisdiction list,' with Attorney General Pam Bondi promising to 'continue bringing litigation' against places the department says stand in the way of federal immigration enforcement. Bondi said in a statement Tuesday that she would 'work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country,' but did not threaten any specific actions beyond what the federal government is already doing. Illinois is among a dozen states, Cook is one of four counties, and Chicago is one of 18 cities on the list. It's the latest federal target on the area following months of local ICE raids, the feds' failed lawsuit challenging local sanctuary policies, and President Donald Trump's continuing criticism of Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker. Both Johnson and Pritzker have also defended the policies in hourslong testimony before Congress earlier this year. The mayor's office and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle's office both said they had not received any additional communication from the DOJ about the city's and county's placement on the list. 'Chicago's Welcoming City policies were first put in place more than 40 years ago by our city's first Black mayor, Harold Washington,' Johnson spokesperson Cassio Mendoza said in an emailed statement. '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. Our city is safer when police officers can focus on driving down crime and violence and holding offenders accountable, rather than civil immigration enforcement.' Andres Correa, a spokesman for Pritzker, said in an email the DOJ's latest actions were simply a pressure tactic. 'Illinois' bipartisan TRUST Act is, and always has been, fully compliant with federal law, a fact that was affirmed in federal court just last month,' Correa said in a statement. 'Our laws ensure that law enforcement focuses on fighting crime, not enforcing the Trump administration's unlawful policies or politically motivated tactics.' A federal judge in Chicago late last month blocked the Trump administration's challenge of local sanctuary policies, such as the Trust Act, the city's sanctuary ordinance and the county statute banning ICE agents from the Cook County Jail unless they had a criminal warrant unrelated to immigration. Local jurisdictions' choice to not participate in enforcing civil immigration law is protected by the 10th Amendment, U.S. District Judge Lindsay Jenkins wrote. Granting an end-run around that amendment '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.' The DOJ's list is the second one of its kind to be published. The first, released two months ago on DHS' website, contained hundreds of jurisdictions and was riddled with typos. It spurred pushback from officials who said it was not clear why they were included. The errors included jurisdictions that overwhelmingly voted for Trump and at least one that had declared itself a 'non-sanctuary city.' The issues were never fully explained, and, within days, the list was replaced with a 'Page Not Found' error message. The DOJ noted Louisville had been removed from the list soon after it agreed to honor DHS requests to hold inmates on immigration detainers for up to 48 hours. Given the potential loss of federal funding or increased ICE raids, the 'stakes are too high,' Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said of the move to drop its 2017 policy against such detainers, according to the Louisville Courier Journal. Bondi celebrated the change and urged other jurisdictions to do the same. .
Mint
6 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
US Justice Department targets 35 ‘sanctuary' jurisdictions with lawsuits and funding threats
The US Justice Department released a new list of 35 "sanctuary jurisdictions" on Tuesday, targeting states and cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The list names 12 states, including California, New York, and Illinois, plus Washington D.C., 4 counties, and 19 cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston . This replaces a much larger list from May that included over 500 locations but was pulled after just three days due to errors and protests from mislabeled areas. Attorney General Pam Bondi warned these policies "impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk," vowing to continue lawsuits against them. The move follows President Trump's April executive order cracking down on resistance to deportation efforts. Sanctuary jurisdictions earn the label by restricting help to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), like refusing jail detainer requests, limiting information sharing about detainees' immigration status, or using local funds to aid immigrants. For example, Philadelphia and Montgomery County only honor ICE detainers with a judge's warrant, arguing holding people longer illegally risks lawsuits . The DOJ's list targets nine specific "defiance" factors, including training staff to avoid ICE cooperation and creating offices to help immigrants evade federal agents. Bondi's approach is more precise than Homeland Security's earlier botched list, which even included Trump-supporting rural counties that call themselves 'non-sanctuaries'. Despite the threats, the DOJ faces legal roadblocks. A federal judge in Illinois recently tossed a lawsuit against Chicago, ruling that the 10th Amendment lets cities refuse to enforce federal immigration laws. "If the state cannot control whether their employees share information, they cannot affirmatively opt out," wrote Judge Lindsay Jenkins, a Biden appointee . The administration has sued New York City, Los Angeles, Denver, Rochester, and four New Jersey cities since April. Meanwhile, some areas like Louisville and North Carolina have reversed sanctuary policies, while Florida and Texas now push local agencies to assist ICE. Local leaders pushed back strongly. Philadelphia officials insist they've received "no formal notification" of violations and are "confident" they follow federal law . Mayor Cherelle Parker avoids the term "sanctuary," calling it a 'welcoming city', a shift from her predecessor's confrontational style. Three Pennsylvania counties near Philly celebrated their removal from the list, with Chester County's Republican commissioner calling it proof they 'respect the rule of law". With funding cuts threatened but court challenges mounting, the battle pits federal deportation goals against local claims of safety and constitutional rights.
New York Post
04-08-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Illegal migrant who broke free with help of anti-ICE activists caught while wearing $1,700 Louis Vuitton t-shirt
An illegal migrant who broke free from a Los Angeles detention facility with help of anti-ICE activists was caught — while apparently wearing a $1,700 Louis Vuitton t-shirt. Anti-ICE activists helped British national Ahmed Mohamed escape as he was being transferred to a detention center in downtown Los Angeles last Tuesday, The Post previously reported. Mohamed, who has a rap sheet including charges of narcotics and weapons possession, was shackled as contract guards lined him up with several other detainees before walking them into the ICE detention center for processing. Advertisement Ahmed Mohamed escaped with the help of anti-ICE activists. ICE A masked man was seen helping Mohamed escape when the guards weren't looking, Homeland Security sources said. The migrant was then loaded into a waiting van with the help of the protestors. On Friday, ICE agents in San Diego 'swiftly apprehended' the escape artist at an undisclosed location, the agency said in an Instagram post showing the cuffed migrant wearing the designer shirt. Advertisement 'You can run from the law but you cannot hide,' the post read. The illegal migrant was caught wearing a $1,700 Louis Vuitton t-shirt. Louis Vuitton He is now charged with escaping from confinement. The detention facility was at the center of anti-ICE riots that broke out in June, when rioters hurled concrete blocks at the feds and shut down major highways in an attempt to stop President Trump's mass deportation raids. Advertisement Trump later deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the City of Angels to control the chaos. California's lefty Gov. Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration over the deployment, arguing that they exceeded his authority and ignored the 10th Amendment by calling up the Guard under a federal law intended to address an 'invasion' or 'rebellion.'
UPI
26-07-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Judge throws out federal suit on Illinois, Chicago sanctuary policies
Chicago police officers watch as activists take to the streets for a May Day protest on May 1 to voice concerns on Trump administration's policies, including immigration. May 1 is also known as International Workers Day. File photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo 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.
