A federal judge in Illinois on Friday threw out a Trump administration lawsuit challenging Chicago’s sanctuary city protections, handing a legal victory to city officials who argue local immigration policies enhance, not undermine public safety.
The lawsuit, filed in February, accused Chicago of obstructing federal immigration enforcement through its long-standing sanctuary policies. The Trump administration claimed these laws prevented local authorities from sharing immigration information with federal agents and hindered efforts to locate individuals potentially subject to deportation.
But Judge Lindsay Jenkins of the Northern District of Illinois sided with the city, granting a motion to dismiss the case, AP reported.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson praised the decision, asserting that the city’s priorities lie with protecting its residents, not enforcing federal immigration policy.
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“This ruling affirms what we have long known: that Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance is lawful and supports public safety. The City cannot be compelled to cooperate with the Trump Administration’s reckless and inhumane immigration agenda,” Johnson said in a statement.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker echoed the sentiment, writing on social media, “Illinois just beat the Trump Administration in federal court.”
The lawsuit was part of a broader legal campaign by the Trump administration to push back against state and city policies it deemed obstructive to federal immigration law. Similar cases were filed in Los Angeles, New York City, Denver, and several towns in New Jersey and New York.
Chicago, a sanctuary city for decades, has repeatedly strengthened its protections for undocumented immigrants. In 2017, during Trump’s first year in office, the city expanded its “Welcoming City Ordinance.” That same year, then-Governor Bruce Rauner, a Republican, signed additional statewide sanctuary safeguards into law, defying party expectations.
While “sanctuary city” has no official legal definition, the term generally refers to policies that restrict cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which often seeks support from local law enforcement in identifying or detaining individuals for immigration violations.
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