Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit against Chicago ‘sanctuary’ laws
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Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit against Chicago ‘sanctuary’ laws
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was pleased with the decision. The Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Chicago has been a sanctuary city for decades and has beefed up its laws several times. The terms generally describe limits on local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which enforces U.S. immigration laws nationwide but sometimes seeks state and local help. The administration has filed a series of lawsuits targeting state or city policies seen as interfering with immigration enforcement, including those in Los Angeles, New York City, Denver and Rochester, New Jersey.
What we know:
The lawsuit, filed in February, alleged that so-called sanctuary laws in the nation’s third-largest city “thwart” federal efforts to enforce immigration laws.
It argued that local laws run counter to federal laws by restricting “local governments from sharing immigration information with federal law enforcement officials” and preventing immigration agents from identifying “individuals who may be subject to removal.”
Judge Lindsay Jenkins of the Northern District of Illinois granted the defendants’ motion for dismissal.
What they’re saying:
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was pleased with the decision and the city is safer when police focus on the needs of Chicagoans.
“This ruling affirms what we have long known: that Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance is lawful and supports public safety. The City cannot be compelled to cooperate with the Trump Administration’s reckless and inhumane immigration agenda,” he said in a statement.
Gov. JB Pritzker welcomed the ruling, saying in a social media post, “Illinois just beat the Trump Administration in federal court.”
Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke also issued a statement on the dismissal.
“I applaud Judge Jenkins’s ruling, and am proud of the attorneys from our Civil Division for their great work. 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. We need victims and witnesses of crime to feel comfortable coming forward, just as we are compelled to hold those who commit crimes accountable. Ultimately, our most important duty is seeking justice, standing up for victims, and making our communities safe from gun violence. Today’s ruling helps us achieve these goals.”
The Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security and did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
The backstory:
The administration has filed a series of lawsuits targeting state or city policies seen as interfering with immigration enforcement, including those in Los Angeles , New York City , Denver and Rochester, New York . It sued four New Jersey cities in May.
Heavily Democratic Chicago has been a sanctuary city for decades and has beefed up its laws several times, including during Trump’s first term in 2017.
That same year, then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, signed more statewide sanctuary protections into law , putting him at odds with his party.
What’s next:
There is no official definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities . The terms generally describe limits on local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE enforces U.S. immigration laws nationwide but sometimes seeks state and local help.