Groups weigh in on sanctuary city suit

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CHICAGO (AP) — Groups nationwide are weighing in on Chicago’s lawsuit seeking to bar the Trump administration from withholding safety grants from so-called sanctuary cities if they don’t adhere to tougher enforcement of immigration laws.

California’s state legislature and an association of ex-prosecutors are among those that filed friend-of-the-court briefs asking a Chicago federal judge to grant a preliminary injunction freezing the policy.
The deadline for such briefs was Thursday. Oral arguments are Sept. 11.

Chicago says the policy is unconstitutional and undermines public trust. Among the lawyers who drafted California’s filing was former Attorney General Eric Holder. It says California’s legislature “fully endorses” Chicago’s arguments.

Current Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a defendant. He says the policy is constitutional and that tying grants to federal requirements is nothing new.