Judge hands Chicago a win on sanctuary city status

Crain's Chicago Business reports:

The Trump administration lost another round in its effort to punish cities that don't cooperate with its crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

A Chicago federal judge ruled Friday the U.S. Justice Department can't withhold millions of dollars in grants supporting public safety from cities that refuse to share with federal officials the immigration status of suspects in custody.

The limited restrictions on funding challenged by Chicago were imposed by the Justice Department after the Trump administration was blocked by a San Francisco judge in April from making much broader cuts in jurisdictions that don't assist its efforts to deport undocumented immigrants.

“The court finds that the city has established that it would suffer irreparable harm if a preliminary injunction is not entered,” U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber said in his ruling. The injunction is “nationwide in scope,” Leinenweber said, “there being no reason to think that the legal issues present in this case are restricted to Chicago.”

Forcing reluctant cities to help round up undocumented immigrants was a key component of the president's campaign vow to rid the U.S. of “bad hombres” entering from Mexico. The ruling further frustrates an administration mired in litigation over immigration policy since Trump took office in January.

Still unresolved are legal fights over the president's travel ban targeting travelers six mostly Muslim countries and a budget showdown in Congress over funding for his promised border wall with Mexico that risks a government shutdown.

Government by judiciary in the news today....