Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Sunday the city would sue the administration of President Donald Trump in the wake of threats to withhold millions of dollars in federal grants from so-called sanctuary cities.

Iowa City has signed onto a lawsuit against the U.S. Justice Department in a fight over federal grant funding for cities that limit local law enforcement’s role in immigration enforcement.

The suit, brought by the city of Chicago, is seeking an injunction barring enforcement of new federal grant conditions announced by the Justice Department, according to city news release on Thursday.

The grant conditions would withhold federal grant funding for state and local governments that do not agree to assist the federal government in enforcing federal immigration law, the release states.

Iowa City and Johnson County have taken the position that they will not commit local resources to enforcing federal immigration law, which falls under the purview of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. Still, they have declined to use the “sanctuary cities” label criticized by Republicans including President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is named in the lawsuit.

The Iowa City Council passed a resolution in January stating that the role of local law enforcement is public safety and not the detection of undocumented people. The resolution included exceptions like violent offenses and situations that threatened public safety.

In a joint statement in March the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Board of Supervisors affirmed a similar policy.

“My policy has been pretty clear on that. We’re not going to participate in raids with ICE. That’s not our responsibility,” Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek said at the time of the statement in March.

Sheriff’s deputies also do not ask for people’s immigration status or honor voluntary detainer requests from ICE that ask local jails to hold undocumented persons past their release date, Pulkrabek said at the time. The sheriff’s office does comply if presented with a warrant, and will participate in criminal investigations.

Johnson County has not signed onto the lawsuit.

The grant conditions at issue in the lawsuit affect the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, which goes towards law enforcement, crime prevention, corrections, prosecution, indigent defense and crime victim and witness programs, the city’s release said.

Sue Dulek, an assistant Iowa City attorney, said the grant is worth about $25,000, which the city shares with Johnson County. Even before joining the lawsuit, Iowa City officials had decided not to reapply for the grant this year in part due to concerns that the federal government would tie immigration-related conditions to the funding, Dulek said.

Iowa City and Johnson County officials have said their policies of not enforcing immigration laws help public safety by ensuring that undocumented immigrants are not afraid they will be deported if they approach police to report a crime.

“It is our belief that it is absolutely essential for the public safety of our community that all people, no matter their status, feel comfortable communicating and working with our Police Department,” Iowa City Mayor Jim Throgmorton said in the release. “We do not want to risk undermining the relationships our officers have built and the critical roles those relationships play in keeping Iowa City safe.”

Dulek said aside from a similar friend of the court, or amicus brief, related to a case against Trump’s proposed travel ban earlier this year she can’t recall Iowa City signing onto another lawsuit related to a national issue.

“Certainly we’ve done it on statewide issues for local counties and communities so that’s not as uncommon, but on a national issue like this yes, that’s certainly uncommon,” Dulek said.

Iowa City joins over 40 other city and county law enforcement agencies and municipalities that have signed the amicus brief written by Santa Clara County supporting Chicago’s position. Other signatories include New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Madison, Houston and Austin.

For more information, please visit www.press-citizen.com. Follow him on Twitter: @sgrubermiller.