LITTLE VILLAGE — Illinois law enforcement officers are prohibited from enforcing orders from federal immigration agents, under a measure signed into law Monday by Gov. Bruce Rauner.
"Illinois has been welcoming of immigrants for a long time, and this bill will continue that tradition," Rauner said. "It also makes clear that stopping violent crime will be law enforcement's mission rather than working on federal prerogatives that a federal court has found illegal."
Dubbed the Trust Act, the measure blocks state law enforcement officers from stopping, arresting, searching or detaining "a person solely due to immigration status."
Instead, a warrant from a judge now is required to hold someone on immigration-related charges.
"It breaks my heart to see the senseless violence going on in our streets, especially when that violence is inflicted on innocent children," said Rauner, who was under intense pressure from anti-immigration Republicans to veto the measure. "We need to prioritize our resources for the prevention of violent crime."
In a statement released by Rauner's office, State Police Director Leo P. Schmitz said he supported the measure.
"No person should fear the police, and everyone in Illinois should feel welcome and safe to contact the police for safety," Schmitz said.
Supporters — and opponents — of the bill have said it will make Illinois a "sanctuary state," where undocumented immigrants will have at least some protection from federal immigration agents.
Earlier this month, Mayor Rahm Emanuel sued the federal government to block Attorney General Jeff Sessions' effort to yank federal funds from sanctuary cities, like Chicago, where officers are prohibited from cooperating with federal immigration agents in most cases.
