Controversy over TRUST Act in Illinois: State officials split on law banning cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and raids

CHICAGO (WLS) — With the looming threat of ICE enforcement actions, local leaders are showing their support for the Illinois TRUST Act.

It’s a law that only specifically forbids law enforcement from collaborating with federal authorities on immigration enforcement without a warrant.

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Local law enforcement, elected officials and immigrant advocates said the debate rages on between how local and federal laws are enforced.

President Donald Trump’s tough stance on immigration has escalated during the first week, including the use of military planes to deport undocumented immigrants. This has intensified the debate between federal enforcement and local laws, bringing the issue to a critical point.

The focus is now back on the Illinois TRUST Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from participating in ICE operations without a warrant.

“Those that are charged with or convicted of serious, heinous crimes they don’t want them on the street,” Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said. “We don’t want them on the street if they’re U.S. citizens, why would we want them on our streets if they’re here illegally?”

In an exclusive interview, the sheriff allowed I-Team cameras into the Kankakee County jail. That facility, until the past few years, was contracted to hold up to 200 ICE detainees.

“We want to be there as just backup. We’re not looking to detain or arrest anybody. We’re there to support another law enforcement agency and that’s where the frustration comes in,” Downey said. “It’s a public safety issue. Get these bad people off our streets and out of our country. That’s what law enforcement is asking.”

The bipartisan TRUST Act was signed into law by Governor Bruce Rauner and implemented in 2017, with additional amendments in more recent years keeping law enforcement from assisting ICE agents.

“The bottom line is public safety right?” said Nina Sedeño, a Senior Immigration Policy Analyst with the Latino Policy Forum. “If individuals feel comfortable and safe communicating and cooperating with local law enforcement, then it helps local law enforcement, do their jobs more safely and efficiently when investigating crimes.”

Sedeño said with the TRUST Act, witnesses and victims from any community are more likely to come forward to law enforcement when they know their immigration status isn’t a factor.

“It creates what we call this this chilling effect right, this climate of fear, where, if an individual say without status witnessed a crime in the community, or something of that nature, but they’re fearful for to come forward with law enforcement, then that just creates an unsafe situation for everyone,” Sedeño said.

However, Republican west suburban state Representative Dan Ugaste said the entire act should be repealed.

“Rather than putting them back out on the streets making ice go find them in the neighborhoods. We then will have a safe transfer of someone who’s going to be removed from the country,” Ugaste said.

Currently, the closest local ICE detention center is in Wisconsin, where republican lawmakers are working to establish new rules for all local law enforcement to collaborate and assist with ICE.