CHICAGO (AP) — The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Monday against Illinois Governor JB Pritzker over newly enacted state laws intended to protect immigrants at courthouses, hospitals, and day care facilities.
Pritzker had recently signed a series of laws prohibiting civil arrests at courthouses and mandated protocols for handling immigration operations to secure personal information at public institutions. These laws take immediate effect and also allow individuals whose rights were compromised during federal enforcement actions to pursue legal claims, including damages for unlawful arrest while attending court.
Supporters of the legislation, including immigration advocates, have lauded its potential to alleviate the fears deterring immigrants from utilizing essential public services like courthouses and hospitals.
Lawrence Benito, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, commended the state's decisive legislation, stating, “Our collective resistance to ICE and CBP’s violent attacks on our communities goes beyond community-led rapid response — it includes legislative solutions as well.”
In response, the Justice Department asserts that these new laws could endanger federal officers and violate constitutional law. Governor Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul are named in the lawsuit issued by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who aims to identify state legislation perceived as obstructing federal immigration operations.
Pritzker and Raoul have not responded publicly to the lawsuit. However, upon signing the bills, Pritzker acknowledged the likelihood of legal challenges, expressing confidence in the laws' merit, stating, “I believe this is not just a good law but a great law.”
In recent federal operations, over 4,000 arrests were made, with only a fraction connected to serious crimes, highlighting the broader implications of the current immigration enforcement strategies.
