President Donald Trump has quickly mobilized wide swaths of the federal government to arrest and detain undocumented immigrants in the United States, part of a broader strategy to amass a large enforcement machine.

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

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.

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

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

The Trump administration is suing the city of Chicago, Cook County and the state of Illinois over sanctuary laws that prohibit local law enforcement from aiding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in arresting undocumented immigrants.

Federal officials are asking a judge to bar the Illinois, Chicago, Cook County and the Cook County Sheriff from using local laws that protect migrants to hamper law enforcement.

The federal lawsuit is the first by Trump's Justice Department against states or municipalities that have sanctuary city policies.

The Justice Department accused the Democratic strongholds of unlawfully interfering with Trump's crackdown and seeking a court order blocking so-called sanctuary laws.