CHICAGO — The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against Illinois, the City of Chicago and Cook County over its sanctuary status.
The complaint was filed in federal court in Chicago. It names the state, Chicago and Cook County as defendants. Additionally, Gov. Pritzker, Mayor Johnson, CPD Supt. Larry Snelling and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle were also named.
The basis of the Department of Justice lawsuit is that sanctuary status violates the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution — which states that federal laws takes precedence over state laws.
The DoJ claims the state, county and city “prohibits even the most basic cooperation with federal officials.”
In 2017, then-governor Bruce Rauner signed a bill which barred police from arresting anyone solely due to their immigration status. In 2021, Gov. Pritzker signed further legislation with additional protections.
The DoJ claims Illinois’ TRUST Act and Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance are invalid due to the Supremacy Clause.
The lawsuit contends that local police are unable to provide ICE with access to remove “aliens in their custody.”
It comes as ICE officers have been conducting operations in big cities like Chicago, which has sparked fears in Little Village and other neighborhoods.
Last month, Mayor Johnson was asked to testify before a House committee regarding the city’s sanctuary city status. On Wednesday he announced he will attend along with the the mayors of New York City, Boston and Denver.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s office sent the following statement.
“Unlike Donald Trump, Illinois follows the law. The bipartisan Illinois TRUST Act, signed into law by a Republican governor, has always been compliant with federal law and still is today. Illinois will defend our laws that prioritize police resources for fighting crime while enabling state law enforcement to assist with arresting violent criminals. Instead of working with us to support law enforcement, the Trump Administration is making it more difficult to protect the public, just like they did when Trump pardoned the convicted January 6 violent criminals. We look forward to seeing them in court.”
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle sent the following statement.
“Cook County remains committed to being a fair and welcoming community for all residents. Our policies reflect our longstanding values and ensure that local resources are used to promote public safety and community trust. We will review the complaint and respond accordingly.”
Chicago police said they do not comment on pending litigation when asked for comment.
WGN News has reached out to those named in the lawsuit for comment. The full lawsuit is below.