The U.S. government sued Illinois and the city of Chicago on Thursday, accusing them of impeding the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

Citing a national emergency declared by President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day, the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to block the enforcement of several state and local laws that “interfere with and discriminate against” the federal government’s enforcement of federal immigration law. Read More At Newsmax

Feb. 6, 2025, 2:53 PM CST / Updated Feb. 6, 2025, 4:01 PM CST

By Adam Edelman, Shaquille Brewster and Michael Kosnar

The Trump administration sued the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago on Thursday, alleging that their sanctuary city policies are blocking federal authorities from enforcing immigration laws.

The federal lawsuit is the first by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department against states or municipalities that have sanctuary city policies in effect.

The 22-page lawsuit, filed one day after a sanctuary jurisdiction directive was issued by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on her first day on the job, alleged that the sanctuary policies put in place by Illinois, Chicago and Cook County “obstruct” the federal government from enforcing immigration laws.

“The challenged provisions of Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County law reflect their intentional effort to obstruct the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law and to impede consultation and communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for federal officials to carry out federal immigration law and keep Americans safe,” the lawsuit reads.

The suit is the latest vehicle to be used by the Trump administration as it quickly advances its mass deportation push of undocumented immigrants. It may also raise questions about the future enforcement of a directive issued days after the inauguration, when the Trump White House instructed the Justice Department to investigate state or local officials who resist the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

Sanctuary cities or states are not official terms. The labels refer to a state, city, county or municipality that has enacted laws that either explicitly or effectively prevent or limit local officials from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

The lawsuit specifically references Illinois’ “Trust Act,” Chicago’s “Welcoming City Ordinance” and Cook County’s “Policy for Responding to ICE Detainers.”

The Illinois Trust Act, enacted in 2017, “prevents state and local law enforcement from assisting the federal government with civil immigration enforcement but allows coordination when there is a federal criminal warrant,” according to a fact sheet describing the law provided by the office of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker. Read More At NBC 5 Chicago