Pritzker signs new Illinois law seeking to limit immigration enforcement at schools, daycares

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has officially signed into a law a bill that would seek to limit immigration enforcement at colleges, daycares, courthouses and more.

Under provisions of HB 1312, which was signed into law Tuesday, enhanced protections are expected to be put into place on those institutions, as well as at hospitals and other entities.

Pritzker signed the bill after “Operation: Midway Blitz” resulted in more than 3,000 arrests around the Chicago area this year, with more immigration enforcement expected as the Trump administration continues to step up its efforts.

“Dropping your kid off at day care, going to the doctor, or attending your classes should not be a life-altering task,” Pritzker said at the bill signing ceremony. “Illinois, in the face of cruelty and intimidation, has chosen solidarity and support.”

One piece of the bill prohibits schools from threatening to disclose the citizenship or immigration status of any employee, student or contractor without consent.

Schools will also be required to provide information on their websites about who employees and students should speak to if an immigration enforcement agent attempts to enter a school campus or engages in “nonconsensual interactions with members of the school community,” according to the text of the bill.

“Education allows our communities to progress and build a better life – an essential part of the American dream. Pursing an education is a right that should not be threatened by armed, masked federal agents on our college campuses,” said State Sen. Karina Villa in a statement. “Many immigrant parents dream of the day their child graduates from college. That goal is what makes all of their sacrifices and labor worth it. In Illinois, we will defend that dream.”

Campus communities will also be notified when immigration enforcement activity occurs on campus, according to Sen. Villa’s office.

The bill also creates a “Court Access, Safety and Participation Act,” which aims to protect residents from civil arrest if they are attending a state court proceeding, or if they are going to or returning from such a proceeding. That includes if a party is a plaintiff or defendant in a case, or if they are a witness or accompanying a participant in the proceeding.

The bill permits individuals to seek civil damages against anyone violating that provision of the law.

Hospitals under the act will be required to adopt and implement policies regarding interactions between law enforcement agents and patients, and will be required to post those policies on their websites.

Immigration enforcement agents will also be required to present valid identification and signed judicial warrants to access licensed daycare centers under provisions of the act, according to officials.

Finally, the bill allows residents to file lawsuits against immigration enforcement agents who violate the state or U.S. Constitutions, according to the text of the legislation.

The bill takes immediate effect in the state of Illinois.