CHICAGO – Early today, the Trump Administration filed a federal lawsuit challenging statewide and local policies in Illinois that bar state and local law enforcement from engaging in federal civil immigration enforcement. The ACLU of Illinois responded to this latest attempt by the Administration to coerce Illinois police to join the Trump mass deportation plan.
The following can be attributed to Edwin C. Yohnka, director of Communications and Public Policy at the ACLU of Illinois:
The Trump Administration’s lawsuit filed today is a further effort to harass and intimidate public officials in Illinois and Chicago who are following laws that prioritize local public safety over federal civil immigration enforcement. The Constitution permits state and local government to determine local priorities without interference from the federal government. The President and his allies cannot ignore this reality in their zeal to carry out a cruel and troubling mass deportation program.
Illinois’ Trust Act and Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance reflect the values of our communities – assuring that people in our immigrant communities can interact with state and local police without fear of immigration enforcement. This encourages witnesses and victims of crime to come forward, making all of our neighborhoods safer.
The lawsuit is little more than the continuation of the name-calling and threats that we saw when White House advisor Tom Homan visited Chicago in December. The Trump Administration cannot bully local communities into participating in their misguided immigration policies.