By Heart of Illinois ABC
BLOOMINGTON – A welcoming city ordinance aiming to protect undocumented immigrants in Bloomington from deportation is a step closer to a city council vote.
However, as it has been for the past few years, the council is deeply divided on the issue.
At Tuesday night’s committee of the whole meeting, a slim majority of five council members said they’re willing to consider a resolution that would set guidelines preventing local police from cooperating with federal immigration agents.
Passing a welcoming city ordinance is one of the remaining goals of Mayor Tari Renner, who’s not running for reelection. He said the measure should have been adopted years ago.
“This is not a sanctuary city. We’re not risking anything. We are sending a message to the people in our community, ‘we value you, we love you as a human being, and your are someone of worth and value,'” said Renner.
Council member and mayoral candidate Mboka Mwilambwe voiced opposition, saying immigration is extremely complex and should be handled by the federal government.
Joining Mwilambwe in attempting to kill the proposal were council members Kimberly Bray, Donna Boelen, and Joni Painter.
‘I think our police have been horribly mischaracterized through all of this. I think our immigrant community population has been lied to and made to be afraid, and I think that’s unspeakably cruel,” said Painter.
Renner asked welcoming city co-sponsor, Jenn Carrillo, to work with city staffers to develop a resolution for a final council vote.
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