Judge throws out Trump's lawsuit against Illinois over sanctuary policies

Source: Politico

A federal judge has thrown out the Trump administration’s bid to force Illinois and Chicago to aid its mass deportation agenda, saying it would encroach on autonomy guaranteed to states under the Constitution.

U.S. District Judge Lindsay Jenkins concluded that the lawsuit — the first filed by the administration this year trying to upend so-called “sanctuary policies” in states and cities — was an “end-run around the Tenth Amendment,” which protects states from federal government overreach.

In a 64-page ruling Friday, the Biden-appointed judge said federal laws “permit” states to cooperate with the federal government on immigration enforcement, but do not require it. Therefore, states can’t be forced to partner with federal efforts, she said, citing a series of Supreme Court rulings that block the federal government from “commandeering” state or local officials to perform federal duties.

The ruling is a setback for Trump, the first defeat in a series of similar lawsuits the Justice Department filed against states and cities that have adopted sanctuary policies that limit their employees’ cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Other suits have been filed against cities in California, New Jersey and New York.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/25/illinois-sanctuary-immigration-ruling-00477916

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