A federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration’s challenge to Chicago’s sanctuary city policies, finding that the city’s ordinance does not violate federal law.
In 2012, the Chicago City Council enacted an ordinance that prohibits city agencies and employees from participating in civil immigration enforcement or assisting federal authorities in such activities. This was followed by the Illinois legislature passing a similar state law, known as the TRUST Act, in 2017.
The Justice Department initiated legal action against Chicago and Illinois in February, asserting that these laws contravene the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which establishes that federal law supersedes any state or local laws that may conflict with it.
However, U.S.District Judge John Z. Lee, appointed by President Joe Biden, dismissed this argument in a ruling on Friday. Judge Lee stated that the policies implemented by Chicago and Illinois are safeguarded by the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This amendment reserves notable powers for the states that are not explicitly delegated to the federal government.
The Trump administration has also pursued similar legal action against New York City concerning its local sanctuary laws,filing a lawsuit on Thursday. A comparable case against Los Angeles is currently underway.