Federal Judge Blocks President Trump’s Efforts to Rein in Illinois’ Sanctuary Law, Citing State Sovereignty
In a stunning blow to President Trump’s America First immigration agenda, a federal judge dismissed the administration’s lawsuit against Illinois and the city of Chicago for refusing to cooperate with federal deportation efforts—prioritizing so-called “state sovereignty” over national immigration enforcement.
U.S. District Judge Lindsay Jenkins, a Biden appointee, ruled that President Trump’s Department of Justice overstepped constitutional bounds by attempting to force local and state officials to assist in enforcing federal immigration law. Her 64-page decision echoed the long-standing liberal legal argument that states can choose to ignore federal priorities when they disagree with them politically.
Labeling the administration’s legal challenge an “end-run around the Tenth Amendment,” Jenkins argued that while states may choose to work with immigration officials, they cannot be compelled to do so. The ruling, hailed by left-wing sanctuary advocates, rests on a selective reading of the Tenth Amendment, conveniently ignoring the constitutional mandate that federal law supersedes state statutes in immigration matters—an interpretation repeatedly upheld by the Supreme Court through the Supremacy Clause.
According to Politico, Jenkins emphasized that “the federal government cannot ‘commandeer’ state or local officials to carry out federal responsibilities.” This decision marks the first major setback in a wave of lawsuits from President Trump’s Justice Department targeting Democrat-run sanctuary jurisdictions that shelter illegal immigrants and obstruct federal law.
Illinois’ 2021 sanctuary law—which the DOJ challenged—bars state and local agencies from sharing criminal custody information, release dates, or even basic contact details with federal immigration officials. The Trump administration argued that this law directly violated federal statutes and discriminated against the federal government, but Jenkins dismissed those claims, protecting what critics call a “de-facto amnesty” for illegal aliens.
The judge also shielded Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker from accountability, despite his administration’s full support of these sanctuary measures. Jenkins pointed out that DOJ attorneys had “openly” admitted there was no legal basis to include Pritzker in the suit—promptly ordering his dismissal from the case.
This is not the first time activist courts have sided with sanctuary states. A similar challenge brought against California in 2018 also failed in the liberal Ninth Circuit, and other cases targeting sanctuary policies in New York and New Jersey are still being contested.
Importantly, previous legal efforts to withhold federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions were derailed under the Biden administration, which quietly asked the Supreme Court to drop pending cases after taking office in 2021. The justices complied, declining to rule on whether states and cities can be forced to comply with federal immigration enforcement.
But under President Trump’s renewed leadership, the Justice Department has returned to its core mission: defending the rights of American citizens and restoring law and order at the border.
In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi took decisive action, filing a lawsuit against New York State, its far-left Governor Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James, accusing them of actively violating federal law by shielding illegal immigrants.
“This is a new DOJ,” Bondi declared in a press conference. “New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops. It stops today.”
Bondi also charged New York DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder, citing the state’s Green Light laws—dubbed the “Driver’s License Act”—which allow illegal immigrants to receive driver’s licenses and bar federal agencies from accessing state DMV records.
“They have green light laws, meaning they’re giving a green light to any illegal alien in New York,” Bondi said. “Law enforcement officers cannot check their identity if they pull them over. They don’t have access to their background. And if these great men and women pull over someone and don’t have access to their background, they have no idea who they’re dealing with, and it puts their lives on the line every single day.”
Bondi closed with a clear warning: “If you don’t comply with federal law, we will hold you accountable.”
Despite activist judges working to protect lawless sanctuary policies, President Trump’s DOJ remains committed to enforcing federal law and protecting American communities from the consequences of unchecked illegal immigration.