The US justice department has filed a lawsuit against Chicago, accusing local officials of impeding federal immigration enforcement efforts amid Donald Trump's drive to ramp up deportations.

The lawsuit accuses city, county, and state authorities of ‘minimally enforcing—and oftentimes affirmatively thwarting’ federal immigration law.

President Donald Trump has often singled out Chicago and Illinois, which have some of the nation’s strongest protections for immigrants. Top administration officials last month visited the city to launch stepped up immigration enforcement and showcased footage of “border czar” Tom Homan making arrests on live television.