For Immediate Release:
April 10, 2025
For press inquiries only, contact:
Amanda Priest (334) 322-5694
William Califf (334) 604-3230
By Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall
(Montgomery, Ala) – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has joined 22 fellow attorneys general in filing an amicus curiae brief in United States v. State of Illinois, urging the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to reject attempts by Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County to shield illegal aliens from federal immigration authorities. The brief argues that these sanctuary laws directly conflict with federal law, frustrate national immigration enforcement, and impose significant costs on states across the country, including Alabama.
“Alabama is feeling the consequences of the illegal immigration invasion, and thanks to the leadership of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, we are finally seeing the rule of law enforced on those who illegally enter our country,” said Attorney General Marshall. “If states like Illinois want to be violent wastelands that is their business, but they cannot rewrite federal immigration law or obstruct federal agents simply because they don’t like it. These sanctuary laws not only defy the Constitution, they harm every law-abiding citizen in Alabama and around the country by undermining public safety and draining state resources.”
The brief highlights how these sanctuary policies violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution by instructing local law enforcement to deny federal agents access to illegal aliens held by the state or local governments, which is a direct conflict with federal statutes such as 8 U.S.C. §1324, which criminalizes efforts to shield illegal aliens from detection.
It also argues that the surge in illegal immigration has overwhelmed schools, healthcare systems, and law enforcement nationwide. States are now spending billions annually to absorb the impact.
The states are asking the Court to allow the federal government’s lawsuit to proceed and affirm that states and cities cannot undermine federal immigration enforcement through such blatantly obstructionist laws.
The brief filed by Ohio and joined by Alabama, also included attorneys general from Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Viginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
To read the full brief click here.
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