Over 250 city employees ask downstate judge to stop Chicago vaccine mandate

CHICAGO (WLS) -- More than 250 city employees across several departments are asking a downstate judge to block Chicago's vaccine requirement.

The motion is the latest chapter in the ongoing fight over the mandate. The request for a temporary restraining order was filed by Tom DeVore, the same attorney who used the same downstate court to grant a restraining order against the state of Illinois' school mask mandate.

ABC7 legal analyst Gil Soffer pointed out that previous efforts by Chicago police and firefighters have failed, and said the city still has a lot of authority to deal with a situation like COVID.

"Since this is not an order that applies to all citizens of the city or the state, but to employees of the city, the courts are inclined to say the city has the right to condition further employment by its employees on their willingness to have this vaccine," he said.

ABC7 reached out to DeVore, but he's attending a dinner at Mar-A-Lago in Florida and wasn't available to comment.

We did receive a statement from the city's law department, saying it "has not been officially served with the TRO", and "will have no further comment as the matter is now in litigation."