Trump Administration Sues Chicago and Illinois Claiming Dem Leaders are Blocking Deportation Efforts

The Trump administration is suing both Chicago and the state of Illinois, claiming its Democratic leaders are obstructing the federal government's immigration crackdown.

The U.S. Justice Department filed the lawsuit Thursday, specifically citing Illinois' Trust Act, The Way Forward act and Chicago's Welcoming City ordinance. The department claims the legislations "are designed to and in fact interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government's enforcement of federal immigration law in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution."

The Illinois Trust Act prevents police in the state from detaining or arresting a person based on their immigration status or on federal detainers. The Way Forward Act requires law enforcement agencies to submit annual reports to the Illinois Attorney General's office about their compliance with the facts. The Welcoming City ordinance helps "to ensure undocumented residents are not prosecuted solely due to their immigration status," according to NBC Chicago.

"By refusing to honor civil detainers and warrants expressly authorized by Congress, Defendants have unlawfully eliminated these means for federal immigration officials to carry out their statutory functions," reads a passage of the complaint.

The case names as defendants the state of Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D), Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D), the city's police superintendent and other local officials. They did not immediately comment on the matter.

With the complaint, the Justice Department seeks to block the laws, saying they are unconstitutional because they reflect the intentional effort to obstruct the federal government's enforcement of immigration law.

The lawsuit doesn't come as a surprise, as the Trump administration has declared its intention to go after so-called sanctuary cities. In fact, acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove warned in a memo during the first days of the Trump administration that officials in these territories could face legal action if they undermine federal immigration laws, The Washington Post reported.

Nevertheless, it is still one of the first major cases brought by the new administration's Justice Department. It comes after the Senate confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi Wednesday, who on her first day issued a memo restricting sanctuary cities from accessing Justice Department funds.

The case comes after ICE conducted raids in Chicago last week as part of their deportation efforts under the Trump administration. The raids included high-profile officials like Bove and Border Czar Tom Homan, who wanted to personally witness how these operations took place, NBC Chicago reported.

Gov. Pritzker has been one of the most vocal critics of Trump, promising to protect undocumented migrants in his jurisdiction following the president's re-election in the November election. Pritzker, who along with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, are among the top names being considered for the 2028 elections, have led efforts to "Trump-proof" their states.

"To anyone who intends to come, take away the freedom and opportunity and dignity of Illinoisans, I would remind you that a happy warrior is still a warrior," he said during a post-election press conference. "You come for my people, you come through me."