Several IL Communities Named As 'Sanctuary Jurisdictions' By DOJ

ILLINOIS — The Department of Justice has named Chicago, Cook County and the state of Illinois among a list of sanctuary jurisdictions that have "policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws."

“Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country.”

According to Executive Order 14287— which was signed by President Donald Trump signed the order in late April and titled "Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens" — Illinois is one of the entities that "continue to use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws."

In May, DHS listed 96 Illinois counties that were "deliberately and shamefully" obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws, and announced they would seek legal action.

In recent months, the Department of Justice has filed several lawsuits against sanctuary jurisdictions it says are "deliberately and shamefully" obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws. Early this year, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit against Chicago, Illinois and Cook County, but it was dismissed last month by a federal judge.

The order says it is "imperative that the Federal Government restore the enforcement of United States law."

Federal authorities said they would help any jurisdiction that wishes to be removed from the DOJ list by identifying and eliminating sanctuary policies.

The government lists nine characteristics of sanctuary jurisdictions. They are:

1. Public Declarations — Cities, states, or counties that publicly declare themselves a sanctuary jurisdiction or equivalent, with the intent to undermine federal immigration enforcement.
2. Laws, Ordinances, Executive Directives — Cities, states, or counties that have laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other formalized practices that obstruct or limit local law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
3. Restrictions on Information Sharing — Cities, states, or counties that limit whether and how local agencies share information about immigration status of detainees with federal authorities.
4. Funding Restrictions — Cities, states, or counties that prohibit local funds or resources from being used to support federal immigration enforcement efforts.
5. Non-cooperation with Federal Immigration Enforcement — Cities, states, or counties that provide training to city employees and police on enforcing sanctuary policies and declining to respond to ICE requests for information.
6. Limits on ICE Detainers — Cities, states, or counties that refuse to honor ICE detainer requests unless there is a warrant signed by a judge.
7. Jail Access Restrictions — Cities, states, or counties that restrict ICE agents’ ability to interview detainees absent detainee consent.
8. Immigrant Community Affairs Offices — Cities, states, or counties that create dedicated offices to engage and advise illegal alien communities on evading federal law enforcement officers.
9. Federal Benefit Programs — Cities, states, or counties that circumvent federal laws prohibiting the provision of federal benefits to illegal aliens and provide them with access to benefits, including health care assistance, legal aid, food and housing assistance, and other subsidies. This includes cities, states, or counties that establish stand-alone benefit programs or equivalents.

In June, Governor JB Pritzker appeared at an ongoing hearing before the U.S. House Oversight Committee, defending how the state has enforced its sanctuary policies.

“I have seen firsthand how states have had to shoulder the consequences of a broken immigration system,” Pritzker said. “I’m proud of how we have responded by promoting public safety, treating people with dignity, supporting our economy and respecting the rule of law.”

Trump and Pritzker have been diametrically opposed since the president's first term. When Trump was re-elected last November, Pritzker vowed to "protect Illinoisans from the damage" the new administration may cause.

The full list of sanctuary jurisdictions identified includes:

STATES:

• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Illinois
• Minnesota
• Nevada
• New York
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Washington

COUNTIES:

• Baltimore County, MD
• Cook County, IL
• San Diego County, CA
• San Francisco County, CA

CITIES:

• Albuquerque, NM
• Berkeley, CA
• Boston, MA
• Chicago, IL
• Denver, CO
• East Lansing, MI
• Hoboken, NJ
• Jersey City, NJ
• Los Angeles, CA
• New Orleans, LA
• New York City, NY
• Newark, NJ
• Paterson, NJ
• Philadelphia, PA
• Portland, OR
• Rochester, NY
• Seattle, WA
• San Francisco City, CA