Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Sanctuary City Policies
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit from the Trump administration that targeted sanctuary city policies in Chicago and Illinois.
The Justice Department filed the lawsuit in February against Illinois, Cook County, and the city of Chicago, including officials like Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson. They claimed that the sanctuary law disrupted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, making it harder to arrest and deport illegal immigrants.
District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins, appointed by former President Joe Biden, ruled that the 10th Amendment protects the sanctuary policy, which stops local law enforcement from collaborating with federal immigration authorities.
According to Jenkins, the sanctuary approach represents the defendants’ choice not to engage in enforcing immigration laws. In her 64-page ruling, she stated, “When it is found that these policy provisions constitute discriminatory or unacceptable regulations, it brings the 10th Amendment into play.” She emphasized that allowing the federal government to dictate state laws under the guise of intergovernmental immunity is particularly prohibited by the 10th Amendment.
Additionally, Jenkins noted that the Trump administration lacked sufficient grounds to sue individual defendants like Pritzker and Cook County officials.
She dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, which means the administration has the opportunity to revise their complaint if they wish to proceed.
The lawsuit highlighted the Illinois Trust Act and the Welcome City ordinances, which indicate that state laws do not empower local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws and that arrests should not be based solely on someone’s immigration status.
In response to the ruling, Pritzker celebrated, stating, “Illinois just defeated the Trump administration in federal court.” He mentioned that the lawsuit challenging the bipartisan Trust Act had been thrown out, reinforcing their commitment to following the law.
Mayor Johnson echoed these sentiments, asserting that the decision validates Chicago’s Welcome City ordinance, which supports public safety by allowing local law enforcement to focus on their communities rather than federal immigration agendas.
This ruling represents a blow to the Trump administration. Earlier in the same week, New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams had similar concerns about the constitutionality of sanctuary city restrictions on cooperation with immigration enforcement.
Attorney General Pam Bondy had initiated the lawsuit against Chicago and Illinois on her first day at the DOJ, indicating it was the first of many potential actions against Democrat-led sanctuary policies.
Bondy proclaimed that jurisdictions obstructing federal law enforcement would face consequences. The Justice Department had previously filed lawsuits against various cities, including New York City and Los Angeles, regarding sanctuary laws.
As of now, the White House and the DOJ have not provided any comments in response to this ruling.
