Sanctuary state and city policies have been a thorn in the side of the Trump administration since Trump resumed office in January, and the administration has been seeking legal redress in dealing with these jurisdictions. On Friday, a Biden-appointed judge dealt the Trump administration a setback by tossing a Trump administration lawsuit challenging the sanctuary policies of the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago.
The judge cited the Tenth Amendment as part of the reason for the ruling.
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.
That seems a stretch on the surface, as the Tenth Amendment states:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
The powers of border control and the enforcement of immigration laws are, however, the proper responsibility of the federal government.
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.
State and local laws don't override the federal government's responsibilities for the enforcement of federal laws, including immigration laws.
Read More: Trump's DOJ Smacks New York City Mayor Eric Adams With Lawsuit Over Sanctuary City Policies
Apprehension, detention, and repatriation of illegal aliens will continue, but the sanctuary policies put in place by these jurisdictions make it more difficult, not to mention more dangerous, and not only for the federal officers charged with these apprehensions but also for the illegal aliens themselves.
A similar lawsuit has just been filed against New York City. Several similar suits against other jurisdictions are in the works as well.
The Trump administration has sued several jurisdictions over their sanctuary policies, including a filing this week against New York City. The administration has also sued several New Jersey cities, as well as Los Angeles.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the federal government was left with no choice but to protect New Yorkers by filing the suit.
It seems likely that this issue will find its way to the Supreme Court.
As of this writing, neither the Justice Department nor President Trump has issued any reply to this ruling.
Editor’s Note: Democrat politicians and their radical supporters will do everything they can to interfere with and threaten ICE agents enforcing our immigration laws.
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