Federal judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over Illinois sanctuary laws
A U.S. district court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against the state of Illinois and multiple jurisdictions over their sanctuary laws.
Illinois signed the Trust Act into law in 2017 under Republican governor Bruce Rauner, instructing state and local law enforcement not to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in cases of civil immigration enforcement activities. The act does not prohibit law enforcement from cooperating with ICE for cases involving a criminal warrant or other court order.
In , the judge granted Illinois' motion to dismiss on the basis that the Trump administration "lacks standing to sue them with the respect to the Sanctuary Policies." The judge also dismissed a lawsuit against the Cook County Board of Commissioners because it's not a separate entity from Cook County in such a way to make it suable.
The lawsuit was dismissed in its entirety without prejudice, and the Trump administration can amend its complaint and file again by a separate, undisclosed date, the ruling said. The judge said if an amended lawsuit is not filed by that date, this one will convert to being dismissed with prejudice.
Gov. JB Pritzker responded to the lawsuit's dismissal on social media, posting, "Illinois just beat the Trump Administration in federal court. Their case challenging the bipartisan TRUST Act was dismissed — unlike the President, we follow the law and listen to the courts."
In a further statement from the governor's office, Pritzker added, "This court ruling shows what we already knew: Illinois' law has always been and still is compliant with federal law. Illinois ensures law enforcement time and energy is spent fighting crime -- not carrying out the Trump Administration's unlawful policies or troubling tactics."
Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke issued a statement saying in part, "I applaud Judge Jenkins's ruling, and am proud of the attorneys from our Civil Division for their great work. The Trump administration's continued attempts to bully local communities into adopting their preferred policies are not only unlawful, but counter to our values and ability to fight crime effectively"
The White House has not issued a statement or released any comment in reaction to the court's decision.
