Illinois lawmakersโ Respond to Increased Federal Immigration Enforcement
Springfield,โ IL – Illinois legislators are grappling with a response to escalating federal immigration enforcement activities withinโ theโค state, characterized by โขsome as โ”lawless actions” that โinfringe upon due process rights. Concerns center on tactics employedโข by federal agents, including deployments ofโ masked personnel, and a perceived disregard for establishedโค protocols regarding immigration enforcement locations.
While lawmakers have voicedโ strong criticism of the federal crackdown, concrete legislative action has โbeen delayed thus farโค thisโ week. Governor JB Pritzker acknowledged the possibility of “tweaks to the law” to bolsterโข protections forโ Illinoisโ residents, but cautioned about theโข limitationsโ of stateโข authority in this area.
Several proposals are under consideration for when the legislature reconvenes later this month. One key proposal aimsโฃ to prohibit civil immigration arrests within and aroundโ stateโ courthouses, excluding federalโข facilities. This comes after a reported increase in such arrests – at least 14 – at โIllinois โstate courts over the past year, disrupting a previously understood agreement โคto keep courts as safe โzones.Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans hasโ already issued an โขorder barring warrantless immigration arrests within Cook County courthouses, and lawmakers are exploring a statewide extension ofโ this protection.
Legislators are also revisiting the state’s โข2017 TRUST Act, โคwhich limits โcooperation between state and local law enforcement and federalโค immigration authorities.Proposed amendments, sponsoredโฃ by representative โคLisaโ Hernandezโ and โขSenator Omar Aquino, would broaden the definition of an “immigration agent” to encompass anyone authorized to make โimmigration-related arrests, including Nationalโ Guard troops. The legislation would also โคexplicitly include โcampus police and โschool resource officers underโ the restrictions of โคthe TRUST Act.
Another bill, introduced by Senator Laura Fine, proposes increased protections for vulnerable populations. It โwould mandate school districts to notify parents, students, and staff โof confirmed immigration enforcement activity on campus, require healthcare facilities to restrict immigration agent access to nonpublic treatment โareas without a warrant, and strengthen privacy protections regarding automatic licence plate reader data to โprevent itsโ sharing with federal agents.
Senator Celina โฃVillanueva, a lead sponsor on the courthouse protection measure, expressed a firm commitment to defendingโค the rights โคof Illinois residents.She emphasizedโ the need for innovative solutions, stating that previous understandings regarding immigration enforcement are โno longer being respected, and vowed to “fight like hell” alongside her colleagues to protect vulnerable communities.
Thisโข article is basedโ on reporting fromโฃ Capitol News Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service funded by โthe Illinoisโค Press Foundation andโ the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
