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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.
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.”
The Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security
and did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
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.
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.
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