CHICAGO – As Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson prepares to join other mayors in discussing immigration policy before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in Washington, the ACLU of Illinois warns that this highly performative hearing must be viewed as part of an effort to empower Donald Trump to act without any constitutional checks and balances. The hearing is expected to focus on whether local communities – including Chicago – remain free to set their own law enforcement policies or if they must abandon local priorities to participate in Trump’s mass deportation scheme.
“This hearing is about much more than immigration policy,” said Colleen K. Connell, Executive Director of the ACLU of Illinois. “The hearing only furthers the belief articulated by Donald Trump and his acolytes in the House that he is the absolute ruler of the entire country, rather than a president confined by constitutional limits. Even after Trump ignored Congress’ role in appropriating federal funds and organization of the government, the Committee is a willing pawn in trying to force state and local governments to violate their own duly passed laws to serve Trump policies.”
Mayor Johnson is expected to join Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and New York City Mayor Eric Adams before the Committee. All three jurisdictions join Chicago in having so-called “sanctuary” policies. Despite specious claims by the Trump White House, these local policies do not prohibit or inhibit the ability of federal officers to engage in federal civil immigration enforcement in any of the cities or decrease public safety. Indeed, studies have shown that counties with these policies actually have reduced crime rates. The Trump Administration took the extraordinary step recently of filing a lawsuit against the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, and Cook County, asking a federal court to bar officials in these jurisdictions from enforcing these state and local laws.
“We should not get caught up in simply discussing immigration policy this week,” added Connell. “If Donald Trump – who recently told a gathering of Governors that he is the federal law – can use financial coercion to force state and local governments to ignore their own laws on immigration or LGBTQ+ rights, then none of us is safe from his whims – or the self-interest of his benefactors.”
“Each of us should be paying attention to the larger issues implicated by Trump’s actions.”
The ACLU of Illinois highlighted its call today in an opinion piece in the Chicago Sun Times.