CHICAGO – Despite unfounded claims by the Trump Administration that policies barring state and local law enforcement officers from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement undermine public safety and make communities less secure, data demonstrate that these policies make neighborhoods safer and the local economy stronger. These facts are laid out in detail in an amicus brief filed Tuesday by lawyers for the ACLU of Illinois and the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC). The filing supports requests from the State of Illinois, Coo k County and the City of Chicago, for a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the Trump Administration seeking to force the state and local government to abandon their laws and participate in the Administration’s mass deportation program.
The filing notes that Trump Administration’s claims in the lawsuit are either easily disproven or rely on anecdotal information rather than peer-reviewed data. For example, a central assertion of the Trump Administration is that so-called sanctuary policies create an obstacle to federal immigration enforcement. But the Illinois Trust Act, as noted in the brief, “expressly allows cooperation in federal criminal enforcement.” In filing the complaint against these state and local governments, the Trump Administration offers a single anecdote in support of its contention that sanctuary policies are dangerous.
The brief was filed on behalf of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Mujeres Latinas en Acción in addition to the ACLU of Illinois and NIJC.
“In its fervor to deport as many people as possible and to punish those who disagree with him. the Trump administration is going after laws that make our communities safer, fairer, and stronger,” said Rebecca Glenberg, a Chief Litigation Council, at the ACLU of Illinois. “We commend Illinois, Cook County, and Chicago for standing up to this bullying.”
The Trump Administration’s lawsuit is based on false narratives that immigrants are dangerous or more prone to criminal activity. The American Immigration Council – among others – report that the reported crime rate among immigrants is the same or lower than that of citizens. The Administration has repeatedly used claims of public safety and fear to justify harsh, illegal and reckless immigration enforcement.
Sanctuary policies, according to research cited in the brief, actually increase public safety and are particularly effective in combating intimate partner violence against Latina women. A 2017 study called The Effects of Sanctuary Policies on Crime and the Economy, notes that overall crime rates are higher in counties where local law enforcement routinely cooperate with federal immigration officers, rather than those with sanctuary policies. There is little wonder. An early survey of Latinos living in major urban areas across the country found that 45% of Latinos and two-thirds of undocumented Latinos indicate that they are less likely to report a crime or cooperate in a criminal investigation out of fear that police will ask them about their immigration status.
“The National Immigrant Justice Center is proud to call Illinois home, and we’re gratified that Chicago, Cook County, and the state have taken important steps to protect immigrant communities,” said Keren Zwick, NIJC’s director of litigation. “The federal government’s decision to target these governments for taking steps to protect our communities are illegal, and they ignore the well-reasoned decision-making that informed the passage of these policies. We are confident that the plaintiffs will prevail in this litigation.”
The impact on crime rates is especially pronounced with regard to domestic and gender-based violence. Immigrant and newcomer women already are more susceptible to such violence owing to factors such as language barriers, lack of familiarity with our legal system and support systems and fear of police based on experience with the system in their country of origin. Data in studies show that communities with sanctuary policies see a lower rate of domestic homicides involving Hispanic women.
“ICIRR is proud of the work we have done with the state, Cook County, and the city of Chicago to win sensible policies that build trust and enhance public safety for all while honoring the dignity and work of our immigrant communities,” said Fred Tsao, Senior Policy Counsel at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “And we are proud today to stand with the state, county, and city to stand against the groundless attacks by the federal administration to undermine these hard-fought victories.:
The filing notes that by focusing scarce law enforcement resources on addressing criminal activity – rather than civil immigration enforcement – state and local communities with sanctuary policies are able to maintain safer conditions for residents in those areas. One study concludes that “data suggests that when local law enforcement focuses on keeping communities safe, rather than becoming entangled in federal immigration enforcement efforts, communities are safer and community members stay more engaged in the local economy.”
The groups behind today’s brief also point to data showing that states and locales with sanctuary polies have stronger economies. The median household income in these communities is more than $4300 higher than those communities without such policies, poverty rates are lower by at least 2% and unemployment rates are a full point lower than jurisdictions who eschew such policies. In Illinois, in 2022, Immigrants contributed an estimated $1.5 billion in state and local taxes that fund critical government and public services. Detentions and deportations not only devastate immigrant families, but the data shows that they result in significant job losses for U.S. citizens, too.
In short, the brief explains, the economic benefits of sanctuary policies are clear – our local economy is more secure for everyone when immigrants are able to focus on working and growing businesses rather than worry about mass deportations and detentions.
“Illinois, Cook County and Chicago’s sanctuary polices legally protect and improve public safety and welfare of all residents, including immigrants,” said Michelle García, Deputy Legal Director at the ACLU of Illinois. “The Trump Administration’s effort to coerce our state and local governments to assist in mass deportations and detentions is not only illegal, but it will hurt Illinois families and the economy.”
The filing today comes in a case filed by the Trump’s U.S. Department of Justice asking a court to force the State of Illinois, City of Chicago and Cook County to cease enforcement of their sanctuary policies. Chicago has long been the target for ad hominem attacks and policy critiques from the President and his followers. The state and local governments have moved to dismiss the lawsuit.