CHICAGO (AP) — The Department of Justice has objected to Chicago’s request for a preliminary injunction barring the Trump administration from withholding public safety grants from so-called sanctuary cities that don’t comply with U.S. immigration laws.
The Justice Department submitted a filing late Thursday in Chicago federal court in which it argues that the federal government has a legitimate interest in pressuring cities to follow immigration laws. It says that compliance, among other things, helps keep crime in check.
Chicago filed a lawsuit this month challenging the policy and seeking the injunction.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions criticized Chicago the day the lawsuit was filed, saying it stood out in its “open hostility” to enforcing immigration laws.
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