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The Department of Justice has officially filed a lawsuit against Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul over new state laws designed to shield illegal immigrants from federal enforcement at certain locations.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you are unaware, the state of Illinois recently enacted legislation aimed at restricting federal immigration enforcement in specific public spaces, effectively shielding illegal immigrants from civil arrest during routine activities. The law, which includes the “Illinois Bivens Act” and the “Court Access, Safety, and Participation Act,” prohibits civil immigration arrests within 1,000 feet of courthouses and mandates that hospitals, day care centers, public universities, and community colleges establish protocols for handling encounters with federal immigration agents. It also provides legal recourse for individuals who believe their constitutional rights were violated during such enforcement actions, including the right to sue for damages up to $10,000.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, the DOJ has officially challenged Illinois’ new law in court, arguing that the state’s newly passed immigration protections unlawfully interfere with federal authority. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, claims Illinois’ measures represent an “unconstitutional attempt to regulate federal law enforcement officers,” directly violating the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution. DOJ officials argue the laws undermine federal immigration operations by restricting where federal agents can operate and by exposing them to lawsuits and punitive damages.

The DOJ’s filing also argues that the Illinois laws are dangerous, pointing to what they describe as an “unprecedented wave of harassment, doxxing, and even violence” against federal officers.

In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the DOJ’s Civil Division said, “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.”

In response, Illinois officials have not backed down. Governor Pritzker’s office reiterated that the law is meant to uphold constitutional protections and public safety, particularly in communities historically targeted by federal immigration enforcement.