The Trump administration has taken legal action against officials in Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County for their policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement authorities. This move marks a significant challenge from the administration towards Democratic-led cities and states that oppose using local law enforcement to aid in federal immigration enforcement efforts. Specifically targeting Chicago, where recent enforcement operations have taken place, the administration is pushing back against so-called sanctuary cities that restrict involvement in federal immigration actions.

The Justice Department is aggressively pursuing this issue, arguing that the state and local laws in question violate the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which prioritizes federal laws over state laws. The lawsuit contends that these laws hinder federal officers’ ability to carry out their duties in these jurisdictions, impeding the enforcement of laws enacted by Congress and actions mandated by the Constitution.

Seeking a federal judge’s intervention, the Justice Department aims to have the laws declared unconstitutional and temporarily blocked pending litigation. Key provisions under scrutiny include state laws that prevent Illinois law enforcement from collaborating with federal officials on civil immigration law enforcement, even though cooperation is still required for criminal law enforcement.

By challenging these laws, the Justice Department asserts that they obstruct the federal government’s ability to regulate immigration and enforce actions against undocumented individuals. CNN has sought comments from Cook County, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on this matter.