The U.S. Justice Department sued the state of Illinois and city of Chicago on Thursday, accusing the Democratic strongholds of unlawfully interfering with Republican President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration and seeking a court order blocking so-called sanctuary laws.

On Monday, the Florida Highway Patrol conducted a joint operation with federal immigration officers in Jefferson County to round up 12 people believed to be in the country illegally, one of a number of raids performed around the country as the Trump administration ramps up its plans for mass deportation.

President Donald Trump’s administration went to court Thursday to challenge sanctuary policies in the state of Illinois, Cook County and the city of Chicago that limit the powers of state and local police to assist federal law enforcement on immigration-related matters.

Local law enforcement agencies play a limited role in immigration law, but that might change during Trump's promised mass deportation operation.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against the state of Illinois, the city of Chicago, Cook County, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, alleging that local laws are obstructing the Trump administration’s efforts to enforce federal immigration policies.

The Trump administration has sued Illinois and Chicago, alleging its laws are impeding on federal efforts to enforce immigration laws.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who did not immediately respond to request for comment, has defended the city's sanctuary laws. He and other mayors plan to testify next month at a

It appears to be the first Justice Department lawsuit against local officials for allegedly interfering with the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.