U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi delivered a stern warning to sanctuary cities during an appearance on Hannity on Fox News Thursday, vowing legal repercussions for jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal immigration laws. Bondi accused these cities of prioritizing the protection of “illegal aliens” over the safety and security of American citizens and law enforcement.
“We’ve cracked down on sanctuary cities,” Bondi said during the interview. “The Department of Justice has put a pause on all federal funding to sanctuary cities and states. We filed a lawsuit against Chicago and the state of Illinois for being a sanctuary city. Am I wrong? Is my interpretation incorrect? A sanctuary city is aiding and abetting lawbreaking.”
RELATED: DOJ Sues Illinois And Chicago Over Immigration Enforcement Policies
Bondi’s comments come amid an escalating legal and political battle between the federal government and local jurisdictions that have adopted sanctuary policies. These policies limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts, often by refusing to detain individuals based solely on their immigration status.
“What they’re doing is they are choosing illegal aliens over the safety and security of their own citizens and the men and women of law enforcement, who are out there trying to protect their citizens,” Bondi said. “Not only did we sue today the city of Chicago, we sued the state of Illinois. We sued the mayor, we sued the governor, and we sued others. And let me be very clear: if you don’t comply with federal law, you’re going to be next.”
The lawsuit against Chicago and Illinois is part of a broader effort by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to enforce federal immigration laws and withhold funding from jurisdictions that defy them. Sanctuary cities argue that their policies foster trust between local law enforcement and immigrant communities, making cities safer by encouraging residents to report crimes without fear of deportation.
However, Bondi and other federal officials have framed the issue as a matter of national security and public safety, accusing sanctuary cities of harboring individuals who may pose a threat to communities. “This is not just about immigration; it’s about the rule of law,” Bondi emphasized. “When cities and states decide they can pick and choose which laws to follow, they put everyone at risk.”
DOJ Sues Illinois And Chicago
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against the state of Illinois, the city of Chicago, Cook County, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, alleging that local laws are obstructing the Trump administration’s efforts to enforce federal immigration policies. The lawsuit marks the administration’s first legal action targeting jurisdictions that have adopted so-called “sanctuary” policies, which limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The DOJ claims that state and local laws in Illinois and Chicago are “designed to and in fact interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law.”
READ: Council Members Rip Chicago Leadership For Refusing To Budge On Sanctuary Law
The lawsuit seeks to bar these jurisdictions from using local laws that protect undocumented migrants, arguing that such policies hinder federal efforts to curb illegal immigration and remove individuals who pose a threat to public safety.
According to the complaint, more than 13,000 undocumented migrants were arrested by immigration officials in Illinois between 2016 and 2025. The DOJ alleges that local officials have “minimally enforced—and oftentimes affirmatively thwarted—federal immigration laws,” resulting in the release of “countless criminals” who should have been detained for removal from the United States.
The lawsuit specifically targets provisions in Illinois and Chicago laws that prohibit the sharing of certain information with federal authorities, making it more difficult for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to apprehend undocumented migrants. The DOJ is urging the court to intervene and ensure compliance with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
READ: Illinois ‘Leaders’ Push Back As Federal Immigration Agents Conduct Large-Scale Arrests
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s office swiftly pushed back against the lawsuit, defending the state’s TRUST Act, which was signed into law by a Republican governor in 2017. The law limits local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities unless they have a valid judicial warrant.
“The bipartisan Illinois TRUST Act has always been compliant with federal law and still is today,” Pritzker’s office said in a statement. “Illinois will defend our laws that prioritize police resources for fighting crime while enabling state law enforcement to assist with arresting violent criminals.”
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office also responded, noting that the lawsuit does not allege any constitutional violations by their department. “As we have repeatedly stated, it has long been our practice to work with all federal agents who provide arrest warrants authorizing them to take custody of individuals being detained at the Cook County Jail,” the statement read. “We will continue to follow all local, state, and federal laws.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Cook County Board of Commissioners have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
READ: Chicago Dems Fight To Roll Back City’s Sanctuary Law, Help Trump Deport Criminals
The lawsuit comes one day after newly sworn-in Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo directing the DOJ to halt funding to jurisdictions that “unlawfully interfere with federal law enforcement operations.” Bondi, who took office on Wednesday, emphasized that state and local officials must comply with federal immigration directives.
“State and local actors may not impede, obstruct, or otherwise fail to comply with lawful immigration-related directives,” Bondi wrote in the memo.
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