Max Herman/Revista sin fronterasLa demanda del Departamento de Justicia pretende anular las leyes locales que limitan la cooperación de Chicago con las fuerzas federales de inmigración.
The Trump administration’s Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois over their sanctuary policies that prohibit local law enforcement from coordinating with federal immigration authorities.
The lawsuit claims that the policies followed by so-called “sanctuary cities” like Chicago “interfere with and discriminate against” the federal government’s immigration enforcement. It targets Illinois’ TRUST Act and Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance, which prohibit local police from participating in immigration proceedings unless a criminal warrant is involved.
The lawsuit is the Trump administration’s latest effort to fulfill his campaign promise of withholding federal funds from sanctuary cities and states that fail to comply with mass deportations.
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Borderless compiled a guide to explain the lawsuit, who it affects, and what it means for the city of Chicago.
What does this lawsuit say?
The lawsuit argues that the TRUST Act and Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which states that federal law supersedes state law. Both laws prohibit the involvement of local law enforcement from participating in immigration proceedings, except in certain circumstances. The DOJ’s lawsuit also cited Cook County’s “Policy for Responding to ICE Detainers,” which prevents Cook County law enforcement officers from providing information about noncitizens who are in their custody to the federal government.
The DOJ and Trump administration argue that sanctuary cities like Chicago interfere with federal institutions and immigration enforcement activities.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson are named as defendants in the lawsuits. The lawsuit cites 13,564 immigrants arrested in Illinois by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from 2016 to 2025, alleging that many were charged with serious crimes. However, Northwestern University Deportation Research Clinic Prof. Jacqueline Stevens notes that the lawsuit is broad in its complaints.
“The lawsuit is oddly silent on any specific individuals or locations that interfered with [the federal government’s] efforts to pursue ICE detainers or obtain information,” said Stevens.
“The broad complaints about Illinois and its localities enforcing policies vis-a-vis their own employees and protecting its budgets and residents from the consequences of unlawful ICE actions appear to repeat legal arguments courts swatted down during the first Trump administration.”
What is a Sanctuary City?
A Ciudad santuario is a municipality that adopts policies to limit its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These policies ensure that undocumented immigrants are not prosecuted solely for their immigration status. They are designed to foster trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.
Sanctuary cities argue that such policies encourage undocumented immigrants to report crimes, access public services, and engage with local government without fear of being targeted for their immigration status.
What is the Welcoming City Ordinance?
Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance prohibits city agencies, including the Chicago Police Department, from cooperating with ICE unless the individual has a criminal warrant or poses a public safety risk. The policy also bans city officials from asking about an individual’s immigration status.
Ahead of Trump’s inauguration, Chicago’s City Council voted to uphold its sanctuary ordinance.
What is the TRUST Act?
The TRUST Act is a state-level law in Illinois that limits the cooperation between state and local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities. Specifically, the TRUST Act prohibits law enforcement from detaining individuals solely based on ICE detainers unless accompanied by a criminal warrant.
The act was signed into law in 2017 by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“Illinois has been welcoming of immigrants for a long time, and this bill will continue that tradition,” Gov. Rauner said in 2017, after signing the bill. “It also makes clear that stopping violent crime will be law enforcement’s mission rather than working on federal prerogatives that a federal court has found illegal.”
Who does the lawsuit impact?
This lawsuit targets the interactions between law enforcement and undocumented immigrants in Illinois due to policies like its Welcoming City Ordinance and TRUST Act. While the Trump administration is suing Illinois and Chicago for their sanctuary city status, places like California and San Diego have similar policies that this lawsuit could impact.
“We’re going to hold sanctuary cities accountable. We’re going to take them on, and we’ll take them to court,” Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, said last week.
How are city and state officials responding?
Illinois and Chicago officials have condemned the administration’s legal action, promising to keep Chicago safe for immigrants, while others criticized the state for its lack of action on crime.
“Illinois will defend our laws that prioritize police resources for fighting crime while enabling state law enforcement to assist with arresting violent criminals,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement.
“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 Jan. 6 violent criminals. We look forward to seeing them in court.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson promised to respond after a full review of the lawsuit but maintained that the safety of Illinois residents would remain a priority.
“Chicago is and will remain a welcoming city, with welcoming people who work beside their neighbors to build strong communities where you can still raise a family,” he said. “Chicago will continue to protect the working people of our city and defend against attacks on our longstanding values.”
Meanwhile, Illinois Senate Republican John Curran criticized the state’s sanctuary policies, calling for the repeal of the TRUST Act.
“Their continued refusal to put the safety of Illinois citizens before their own personal political agendas has now forced the federal government to intervene to keep Americans safe,” he stated.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office stated that it follows all local, state, and federal agents who provide arrest warrants.
Fatema Hosseini es becaria del Roy W. Howard Investigative Reporting que cubre las comunidades migratorias para Borderless Magazine. Envíele un correo electrónico a fatema@borderlessmag.org.
Tara Mobasher es becaria de Northwestern Medill Reporting en Borderless Magazine. Envíe un correo electrónico a Tara a Tara@borderlessmag.org.
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