This one will stick. The courts will uphold this. I expect Trump will win.
Pam Bondi Begins Crackdown on Sanctuary Laws
A Department of Justice lawsuit asserts that sanctuary laws in Chicago, Cook County and Illinois have obstructed federal efforts to enforce immigration policy.
On this score, I expect the courts will side with Trump.
RedState reports There She Goes: Brandon Johnson, JB Pritzker Hardest Hit As Pam Bondi Begins Crackdown on Sanctuary Laws
Newly minted Attorney General Pam Bondi has wasted no time, issuing directives that call for “aggressively enforcing criminal laws passed by Congress” and “vigorously defending presidential policies and actions on behalf of the United States against legal challenges.”
And on Thursday, Bondi made another big move, filing a lawsuit against Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois related to their so-called “sanctuary” laws.
“The challenged provisions of Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County law reflect their intentional effort to obstruct the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law and to impede consultation and communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for federal officials to carry out federal immigration law and keep Americans safe,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Chicago, is one of the first major cases brought by the new administration’s Justice Department.
Bondi’s move follows a request from House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) for four sanctuary city mayors to testify at a hearing in March, with the goal being to assess if new legislation would be needed.
The mayors who were urged to appear before the committee were Chicago’s Brandon Johnson, Boston’s Michelle Wu, New York City’s Eric Adams, and Denver’s Mike Johnston. Comer confirmed on Wednesday that all of them had agreed to appear at the March 5th hearing.
I should note that both Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker were practically daring the Trump administration to come after them, and clearly they’ve taken them up on the insinuated offers.
Trump Administration Sues Illinois
The New York Times reports Trump Administration Sues Illinois Leaders Over Immigration Enforcement
The lawsuit names Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago and Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois, both Democrats, along with Superintendent Larry Snelling of the Chicago Police Department and other local elected officials in the nation’s third-largest city. It is believed to be the new Trump administration’s first legal action against state and local officials to try to make them provide more assistance in federal immigration enforcement.
The lawsuit asserts that local and state officials’ lack of cooperation with federal enforcement of immigration laws has resulted in “countless criminals being released into Chicago” who should have been subject to deportation.
Illinois and Chicago have laws in place to limit their cooperation with federal agencies’ efforts to deport undocumented immigrants. The Illinois Trust Act, which prevents local law enforcement from holding immigrant prisoners without a court warrant, was signed into law in 2017 by former Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican.
Toni Preckwinkle, the president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, who is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, said that the county’s 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.”
Several immigration advocacy groups in Illinois filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month in an effort to block the agency from conducting certain immigration operations in Chicago.
Trump DOJ Slaps Illinois, Chicago with Lawsuit
Fox News reports Trump DOJ Slaps Illinois, Chicago with Lawsuit Over Sanctuary Laws.
The lawsuit filed in Illinois, against Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and others, claimed that several state and local laws 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.”
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border on day one of his administration as part of a slew of moves to crack down on illegal immigration and increase border security. The lawsuit claims there is a national crisis of illegal immigrants entering the U.S. and presenting “significant threats to national security and public safety.”
“Further exacerbating this national crisis, some of these aliens find safe havens from federal law enforcement detection in so-called Sanctuary Cities where they live and work among innocent Americans, who may later become their crime victims,” it says.
“Upon information and belief, the conduct of officials in Chicago and Illinois minimally enforcing—and oftentimes affirmatively thwarting—federal immigration laws over a period of years has resulted in countless criminals being released into Chicago who should have been held for immigration removal from the United States,” it says.
Pritzker said that “unlike Donald Trump, Illinois follow 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,” he said. “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.”
See You in Court
“We look forward to seeing them in court,” said Pritzker.
I asked my constitutional law expert friend about this case, and he responded:
This will be an interesting case. I would place big money on the DOJ winning. It’s just very clear that the feds own immigration policy.
A lot of people hate Trump to the point of blind range. But by the time this gets to the 7th Circuit – the federal Court of Appeals that governs Chicago, the DOJ will win. The 7th Circuit has some very good judges.
Perhaps it’s a little complicated due to the strange decision on Texas, but if it gets to the Supreme Court, I think Justice Roberts will just bury it.
Very Clear
That is what I said when the courts prevented Texas from enforcing immigration policy.
And I took a lot of flack for that call, but that’s what happened.
Now, guess what? Biden is no longer running the border, thank God, so the shoe is on the other foot.
When I make a court case call, it’s not based on what I want to happen, it’s based on what I think will happen.
I am sure Trump will lose on birthright citizenship, and I correctly thought the court would strike down, at least temporarily, Trump’s executive orders on USAID, but this one looks solid.
But this is different. Biden got to do what he wanted with immigration policy (and he made a damn mess of it to say the least).
Now Trump gets his way.
That said, I still hope for some common sense. Deport them all will be very costly. And if Democrats were smart they would cooperate with Trump and opt for a reasonable deal.
If you want to know what kind of dreamer deal I hope for, please see my November 7, 2024 post The New Home for Hispanics is the Republican Party
