The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul over a state law aimed at restricting federal immigration enforcement. According to CBS News, the Illinois Bivens Act (HB 1312) “bans civil immigration arrests at courthouses, and allows people to file civil lawsuits if they believe federal agents have violated their constitutional rights.” The DOJ said the state law threatens the safety of federal officers. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker over new state laws aimed at protecting immigrants at courthouses, hospitals and day cares. https://t.co/snBhcx6U0T — The Washington Times (@WashTimes) December 23, 2025 CBS News shared further: In signing the act on Tuesday, Dec. 9, Pritzker said the state was “protecting people and institutions that belong here in Illinois.” “Dropping your kid off at day care, going to the doctor, or attending your classes should not be a life-altering task,” Pritzker said in part in a news release. “Illinois — in the face of cruelty and intimidation — has chosen solidarity and support.” Thousands of people were arrested and detained by U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents during two and a half months of heightened enforcement action the Trump administration dubbed Operation Midway Blitz. Pritzker is using a newly formed commission to document laws broken by federal agents during the operation. The goal, state officials said, is holding federal agents accountable for their actions — even if it happens years down the road. “The Department of Justice will steadfastly protect law enforcement from unconstitutional state laws like Illinois’ that threaten massive punitive liability and compromise the safety of our officers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Unfortunately, Illinois politicians prefer to attack law enforcement with lawsuits and punitive damages rather than support ICE’s Criminal Alien Program, which prioritizes the safe removal of dangerous criminal aliens like murderers, child rapists, and other serious offenders,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois. “Courthouse arrests are only necessary in the first place because Illinois refuses to honor federal detainers at the jails and prisons, instead preferring to release criminals back into our communities,” Weinhoeft continued. The Hill has more: A spokesperson for Pritzker pushed back on the suggestion that the state is releasing criminals into local communities. “Governor Pritzker has always said that if someone commits a violent crime and is in the country illegally, then they do not belong in Illinois and need to be held accountable,” the spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill. “However, the Trump Administration’s masked agents are not targeting the ‘worst of the worst’ — they are harassing and detaining law-abiding U.S. citizens and Black and Brown people at daycares, hospitals, and courthouses,” the spokesperson continued. “This new law reflects our belief that no one is above the law, regardless of their position or authority. Unlike the Trump Administration, Illinois is protecting Constitutional rights in our state.” Raoul’s office said the attorney general is reviewing the complaint.