Pritzker vows to fight Trump admin’s sanctuary lawsuit, slams tariffs

ILLINOIS - Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois will continue to fight a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration challenging the state's sanctuary law.

Illinois Politicians Weigh In 

What we know:

The governor said he learned about the lawsuit Thursday through news reports. The suit targets an Illinois state law and a Cook County ordinance that prevents local officials from assisting with immigration enforcement.

Chicago's Welcoming City Ordinance also prohibits police from arresting individuals based solely on their immigration status.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed the lawsuit as part of its effort to investigate alleged interference with the administration’s immigration policies.

"They come and try to attack the State of Illinois and that's what they're doing. The lawsuits are against laws on the books in Illinois," Pritzker said.

"They can break the law, that's true, but that won't last. At least not in this country. If you follow the Constitution, if you follow the law, it won't last. And by the way, they've been sued four, five, six times over the last 10-14 days and they've lost every one of them that's been decided so far," he added.

Pritzker on Trump's Tariffs:

Pritzker also criticized former President Donald Trump’s tariffs, saying, "working families will pay the price."

Last week, Trump announced a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on goods from China.

Canada is Illinois’ top trade partner.

Sen. Durbin's Comments:

Sen. Dick Durbin discussed the impact of the tariffs in Chicago on Friday.

"My message to the Trump administration is when it comes to our economy here, imports and exports from Canada and Mexico are critical to jobs in the United States and to consumers having affordable goods that they can buy at the store," Durbin said.

Slew of Executive Orders :

Since Jan. 20, Trump has signed numerous executive orders, shifting priorities both domestically and internationally.

Durbin and Pritzker said they believe the president is using executive orders to distract the public.

"They are doing the tactic of flooding the zone. Make a hundred decisions a day… many changes are taking place in every direction," Durbin said. 

"Illinois, we have grit. We are tough, we are strong and Donald Trump has no idea what he's up against when he attacks Illinois," Pritzker said. 

What's next:

Mayor Brandon Johnson will travel to Washington, D.C., on March 5 to testify at a congressional hearing on sanctuary cities.

He will be alongside mayors from Boston, Denver and New York.

RELATED STORIES: 

• DOJ sues Illinois and Chicago over immigration policies
• Pritzker slams Trump's tariffs, warns 'working families will pay the price'
• Johnson to appear before Congress to discuss Chicago's status as a sanctuary city