The state attorney general on Monday filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration accusing Border Patrol and ICE agents of “assaulting and terrorizing” communities in Illinois.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, joined by the City of Chicago, filed the lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Trump administration officials.
The 103-page complaint alleges “unlawful and dangerous tactics” used by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Illinois.
The suit specifically names DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and says they have operated a force that has unleashed sweeping raids and indiscriminate violence against Illinois’ residents.
“Border Patrol agents and ICE officers have acted as occupiers rather than officers of the law,” Raoul said.
“They randomly, and often violently, question residents. Without warrants or probable cause, they brutally detain citizens and non-citizens alike. They use tear gas and other chemical weapons against bystanders, injuring dozens, including children, the elderly and local police officers. I filed this lawsuit to stand up for the safety of the people of Illinois and the sovereignty of our state,” Raoul said.
The attorney general filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois – Eastern Division.
The complaint describes various ways the Trump administration has allegedly attempted to coerce Illinois over policy differences, including by withholding federal funds and attempting to deploy the Illinois and Texas National Guards in the state.
DHS deployed “quasi-military personnel” from CBP and ICE to Illinois in September, initiating a “campaign of violent terror” targeted at the state and its residents, the suit said.
The lawsuit says federal immigration agents have for decades enforced immigration laws in Chicago without significant interruption to public order and safety.
The plaintiffs say CBP and ICE agents, since September, have killed an Illinois resident, shot another and conducted a military raid on a Chicago apartment complex where they detained all residents, including children.
“We have watched in horror as unchecked federal agents have aggressively assaulted and terrorized our communities and neighborhoods in Illinois, undermining Constitutional rights and threatening public safety,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said.
“In the face of the Trump Administration’s cruelty and intimidation, Illinois is standing up against the attacks on our people. Today, Illinois is once again taking Donald Trump to court to hold his administration accountable for their unlawful tactics, unnecessary escalations, and flagrant abuses of power,” Pritzker said.
The attorney general’s office said agents have arrested hundreds without warrants, randomly questioned hundreds more and used chemical weapons on “law-abiding, peaceful residents.”
Local schools have gone into lockdown, social service organizations have had to reduce their services and courthouse operations have been increasingly hindered as Illinoisans have been left intimidated as a result of the “fear and chaos created by these tactics.”
The attorney general’s office also said that local businesses and economies have suffered, resulting in declining sales and loss in tax revenue due to the fear in residents and tourists.
Raoul said that the federal government has attacked Illinois’ ability to carry out its core functions and argues that the “assault on the state’s sovereignty” is a violation of the Tenth Amendment and violates the Administrative Procedure Act.
Illinois is also seeking a prohibition on enforcement activities in or near courthouses, schools, hospitals and other sensitive locations, except in “extenuating circumstances and with safeguards.”
The lawsuit also alleges that federal agents engaged in license plate swapping. The Illinois Secretary of State in October had issued a warning to federal immigration agents about breaking state law after a viral video taken in Round Lake captured an agent admitting to the practice.
“This lawsuit sends a clear message: Illinois will not stand by while federal agents disregard our laws and compromise public safety,” Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said.
“We have a fundamental responsibility to protect our residents, and we intend to uphold that authority. Tampering with license plates is illegal and dangerous, and we will hold anyone accountable who breaks our laws and engages in these practices. We are committed to transparency, accountability and keeping our roads safe for everyone,” Giannoulias added.
The recent immigration enforcement in the Chicago area began in September with the announcement of “Operation Midway Blitz.”
Agents have made arrests in Lake County, especially in Waukegan and North Chicago, as well as McHenry County, as a result of the operation.