Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a bill limiting the activities of federal immigration agents. The legislation, HB 1312, allows “any person to bring a civil action against any person who, while conducting civil immigration enforcement, knowingly engages in conduct that violates the Illinois Constitution or the United States Constitution,” a bill summary states.
The law bans the arrest of people near courthouses who are involved in certain proceedings and also prohibits schools from taking action regarding immigration status.
“With my signature today, we are protecting people and institutions that belong here in Illinois. Dropping your kid off at day care, going to the doctor, or attending your classes should not be a life-altering task,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Illinois — in the face of cruelty and intimidation — has chosen solidarity and support. Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, and Gregory Bovino have tried to appeal to our lesser instincts. But the best of us are standing up to the worst of them.”
Pritzker said during a news conference on the law that the “Chicago region has been subjected to a relentless campaign of cruelty and intimidation and abuse at the hands of ICE and Border Patrol agents under the command of President Trump, and condoned by the Republican Congress.”
“Our people have been forced to live in fear, everyday activities like dropping off of the kids at school, going to the park with your family, going to the doctor, showing up at your job has meant risking your safety and your livelihood,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons sent a letter to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, demanding that he honor the ICE arrest detainers of the thousands of illegal immigrants in the state. Failure to honor the detainers has led to the release of more than 1,700 criminal illegal aliens since January 20, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) explained.
