US sues Illinois, Chicago for impeding immigration efforts
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The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Illinois and the City of Chicago on Friday, accusing both of impeding immigration enforcement policies of the Trump administration and seeking an order from the court to overturn so-called sanctuary law.
The Department of Justice, citing a national emergency that was declared by Donald Trump during his Inauguration on January 20, is trying to stop the enforcement of state and local laws which “interfere and discriminate” with the federal government in its enforcement of federal immigration laws.
The complaint was filed at the federal court in Chicago.
The state’s attorney general and Chicago’s Mayor did not respond immediately to a comment request.
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Trump has promised to deport millions who are in the United States illegally. He will rely on local law enforcement for help.
The newly appointed U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi released a memo Wednesday saying that sanctuary jurisdictions shouldn’t receive federal Justice Department grant money and that the department should take action against jurisdictions who impede immigration enforcement.
Massachusetts’ top federal prosecutor, who was appointed on Wednesday, said that “nobody gets a free pass” if local officials interfere with the Trump administration’s increased immigration arrests.
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