The Department of Justice has taken legal action against the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago for allegedly impeding federal immigration enforcement efforts. This move marks the latest development in the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration and Democratic-led municipalities regarding immigration policies.
The lawsuit, filed in Illinois, targets Governor J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and other officials. It alleges that certain state and local laws have been crafted to obstruct and show bias against the federal government's execution of immigration laws, thereby violating the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.
This legal action follows a directive signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi to curtail funding to sanctuary cities. Sanctuary jurisdictions typically restrict or prohibit cooperation between state and local law enforcement agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers, which are requests for the transfer of undocumented immigrants in custody to ICE.
