By Cole Lauterbach/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – Some Illinois lawmakers are working to limit how much local authorities can cooperate with the federal government in deporting undocumented immigrants.
In a hearing this week, Senate President John Cullerton said his bill would keep state and local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration officials unless they have a warrant.
“We’re drawing a line,” said Cullerton, the bill’s sponsor. He told the committee that supporters want to keep overzealous local cops from doing too much to assist in deportations.
“If there’s a warrant for someone’s arrest, there’s no problem with cooperation. If there’s not … we are saying that we’re asking you not to assist them. We want to limit our law enforcement agencies’ efforts in assisting federal immigration enforcement.”
State Sen. Chris Nybo, R-Lombard, called this is an unheard of situation.
“I can’t think of any other example outside of this context where, as a matter of law, [we] direct any non-federal government agency to not cooperate with any federal agency,” Nybo said.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said last week that the federal government would withhold certain funds from any government not cooperating with their enforcement efforts.
In a statement, a Department of Justice spokesman responded to Cullerton’s bill.
“The American people want and deserve a lawful immigration system that keeps us safe and serves our national interest,” the statement said. “Failure to deport aliens who are convicted of criminal offenses make our nation less safe by putting dangerous criminals back on our streets. The expectation that the federal government will enforce our immigration laws is reasonable, and our government has a duty to meet it. And we will meet it.”
The bill passed committee, but Cullerton says he will meet with law enforcement agencies that were opposed before going any further. There are roughly half a million undocumented immigrants in Illinois.
