Illinois Central Railroad v. Illinois

Illinois Central Railroad v. Illinois (1892) was a Supreme Court case that addressed whether a state could sell land it owned that was used for public purposes without compensating the public for the loss of the property’s value. The Court ruled that the state’s act to sell part of a public park was invalid because it deprived the public of its rights without fair compensation, emphasizing that states cannot unilaterally diminish public property or resources held in trust for the public's benefit. This case helped establish limits on state actions affecting public trust assets.