DOJ DEFEATED: Judge Upholds Illinois Workplace-Privacy Law, Rejects IRCA Preemption—Setback For ICE/E-Verify Enforcement Push

A federal judge in Illinois dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking to block the state’s Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act, ruling it is not preempted by IRCA. The decision limits DOJ’s use of immigration authority to override state employment rules and undercuts expansive federal claims tied to E‑Verify usage. The ruling could influence similar laws elsewhere as DOJ considers a Seventh Circuit appeal.