Case: City of Chicago v. Department of Justice

ORDER AMENDED GENERAL ORDER 25-0024: GENERAL ORDER HOLDING IN ABEYANCE: CIVIL MATTERS INVOLVING THE UNITED STATES AS A PARTY: This matter is before the Court due to the lapse of congressional appropriations funding the federal government, including the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Office. Absent an appropriation, the United States represents that certain Department of Justice attorneys and employees of the federal government are prohibited from working, even on a voluntary basis, except in very limited circumstances, including "emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property." 31 U.S.C. § 1342. Therefore, the lapse in appropriations requires a reduction in the workforce of the United States Attorney's Office and other federal agencies, particularly with respect to prosecution and defense of civil cases. The Court, in response, and with the intent to avoid any default or prejudice to the United States or other civil litigants occasioned by the lapse in funding, sua sponte enters this General Order. As a result of the cited workforce reductions, it is hereby ORDERED, effective October 1, 2025, that all civil litigation involving as a party the United States of America, its agencies, its officers or employees (whether in their individual or official capacity and whether current or former employees), and/or any other party represented by the Department of Justice or the United States Attorney's Office is immediately suspended, postponed, and held in abeyance continuing until funding for federal government operations is fully restored. The Court may renew or modify this General Order depending on developments in the stay period. The Court intends "civil litigation" to include all pending non-criminal cases in which the United States, its agencies, its officers or employees (whether in their individual or official capacity and whether current or former employees) is in any way a named party and any non-criminal cases in which the United States Attorney's Office or the Department of Justice is counsel of record. This includes, without limitation, all pending Social Security cases and all cases seeking monetary or equitable relief in which the United States is involved as a civil litigant. The General Order does not affect habeas corpus cases pending or filed under Chapter 153 of Title 28. This General Order suspends and continues, during the stay, any and all events and deadlines in the affected civil litigation (whether established by order, rule, or agreement), including but not limited to any scheduled proceedings, hearings, and/or discovery and pleading dates. No party will be required to take any steps in civil litigation affected until expiration of the stay. The Court warns litigants that this General Order does not purport to affect rights to, or deadlines concerning, appeal from any decision of this Court, which will continue to operate and issue orders in the normal course. Any litigant affected by this General Order may seek relief from the order by motion. The Court may, in any particular case, vary the effect or operation of this General Order by a separate order. The Court shall distribute this General Order: (a) by electronic service to all registered CM/ECF users; (b) by first-class mail to unregistered civil litigants, including pro se litigants, and to attorneys pending pro hac vice admission; and (c) by posting the General Order on the Court's public website. This General Order does not operate as a stay of any injunction or restraining order entered by any judge of this court. The Court shall clarify the status of case schedules upon expiration of the stay and dependent on the timing of the funding resolution. Signed by the Honorable Virginia M. Kendall on 10/2/2025. Mailed notice (td, ) (Entered: 11/12/2025)

COMPLAINT filed by City of Chicago; Filing fee $ 405, receipt number AILNDC-24334685.(Metcalf, Chelsey) (Entered: 11/12/2025)

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice on behalf of City of Saint Paul by Kelsey J McElveen; Filing fee $ 150, receipt number AILNDC-24336149. (McElveen, Kelsey) (Entered: 11/12/2025)

ATTORNEY Appearance for Plaintiff City of Chicago by Rebecca Alfert Hirsch (Hirsch, Rebecca) (Entered: 11/12/2025)

CLERK'S NOTICE: Pursuant to Local Rule 73.1(b), a United States Magistrate Judge of this court is available to conduct all proceedings in this civil action. If all parties consent to have the currently assigned United States Magistrate Judge conduct all proceedings in this case, including trial, the entry of final judgment, and all post-trial proceedings, all parties must sign their names on the attached Consent To form. This consent form is eligible for filing only if executed by all parties. The parties can also express their consent to jurisdiction by a magistrate judge in any joint filing, including the Joint Initial Status Report or proposed Case Management Order. (lj, )

CASE ASSIGNED to the Honorable Jorge L. Alonso. Designated as Magistrate Judge the Honorable Keri L. Holleb Hotaling. Case assignment: Random assignment. (Civil Category 2). (lj, )

CIVIL Cover Sheet (Metcalf, Chelsey) (Entered: 11/12/2025)

MOTION by Plaintiffs City of Chicago, City of Saint Paul for order Entering Agreed Schedule, Relieving the Action from Amended General Order 25-0024, and Granting Leave to File Excess Pages (Metcalf, Chelsey) (Entered: 11/13/2025)

ATTORNEY Appearance for Plaintiff City of Chicago by Chelsey Blaire Metcalf (Metcalf, Chelsey) (Entered: 11/13/2025)

ORDER GENERAL ORDER 25-0028: RESETTING OF DEADLINES IN CIVIL MATTERS INVOLVING THE UNITED STATES AS A PARTY IT APPEARING THAT as a result of the partial federal government shutdown, this Court amended General Order 25-0024 suspending as of October 1, 2025, all civil litigation in which the United States of America, its agencies, its officers, or employees were parties, with the stated intention of clarifying schedules in such cases upon the expiration of the lapse in appropriations; and IT FURTHER APPEARING THAT appropriations having been restored to fund the Department of Justice and other Executive Branch agencies, with employees beginning to report for work beginning on November 13, 2025; accordingly IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the stay entered by General Order 25-0024 is hereby lifted, and any and all deadlines in affected civil cases (whether established by order, rule, or agreement.), including but not limited to any scheduled discovery and pleading dates, are extended by 49 days. The Court warns litigants that this General Order does not purport to affect rights to or deadlines concerning appeal from any decision of this Court. Any litigant affected by this General Order may seek relief from the order by motion. Trial dates in the affected cases will stand, although they may need to be adjusted in individual cases to account for the extension of other dates. The Court may, in any particular case, vary the effect or operation of this General Order by a separate ruling. The Court shall distribute this General Order: (a) by electronic service to all registered CM/ECF users; (b) by first-class mail to unregistered civil litigants, including pro se litigants, and to attorneys pending pro hac vice admission; and (c) by posting the General Order on the Court's public website. Signed by the Honorable Virginia M. Kendall on 11/14/2025: Mailed notice. (tg, ) (Entered: 11/14/2025)

MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jorge L. Alonso: Counsel McElveen's motion 4 for leave to appear pro hac vice is granted. Plaintiff's unopposed motion 6 is granted as follows. Plaintiffs will file their motion for a preliminary injunction of up to 25 pages by 11/17/25. Defendants shall file an opposition motion of up to 25 pages by 12/5/25. Plaintiffs shall reply by 12/12/25. The deadline for Plaintiffs to accept any grant award or grant funding related to this Action is extended to: 12/22/25. In-person oral argument is set for Wednesday, 12/17/25 at 9:30 a.m. Notice mailed by Judge's staff (lf, ) (Entered: 11/17/2025)

ATTORNEY Appearance for Plaintiff City of Chicago by Stephen J Kane (Kane, Stephen) (Entered: 11/17/2025)

MOTION by Plaintiff City of Chicago for preliminary injunction (Hirsch, Rebecca) (Entered: 11/17/2025)

MEMORANDUM by City of Chicago in support of motion for preliminary injunction 11 (Attachments: # 1 Declaration Stephen Kane, # 2 Declaration Tomas Maulawin, # 3 Declaration Lindsay Bacher)(Hirsch, Rebecca) (Entered: 11/17/2025)

DESIGNATION of Patrick Walter Johnson as U.S. Attorney for Defendants Pamela Bondi, Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Cory Randolph (Johnson, Patrick) (Entered: 11/18/2025)

MOTION by Defendant Department of Justice to amend/correct scheduling order regarding preliminary injunction motion (Johnson, Patrick) (Entered: 11/24/2025)

MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jorge L. Alonso: Defendant's unopposed motion 14 to modify the scheduling order is granted in part. Defendants' response to the motion for preliminary injunction is due 12/10/25. Plaintiffs' reply is due 12/17/25. The Court schedules oral argument for 1/9/26 at 10:00 a.m. and anticipates issuing a decision by 1/15/26. This would require Defendants to extend the funding deadline applicable to this action to 1/16/26. By 12/1/25, the parties shall submit a joint status report confirming that they are available on 1/9/26 for oral argument and that they are amenable to a funding deadline of 1/16/26. Notice mailed by Judge's staff (lf, ) (Entered: 11/26/2025)

STATUS Report (joint) by Department of Justice (Johnson, Patrick) (Entered: 12/01/2025)