Overview
- Aurora unanimously approved an ordinance barring use of city-owned buildings, parking lots and parks for civil immigration arrests without a judicial warrant, leaving criminal cases and warrant-based actions untouched.
- The Aurora law sets a reporting process for city employees to alert supervisors and the mayor’s office so incidents can be recorded for possible referral to the Illinois Accountability Commission.
- Batavia passed a similar measure in a split vote after extended debate, prohibiting staging or processing on city property, urging presentation of judicial warrants, requiring visible badges, and blocking access to city data.
- Batavia officials questioned enforceability and potential conflicts with federal supremacy and raised concerns about legal exposure and federal funding, while supporters emphasized both practical and symbolic value.
- These actions add to a regional trend that includes steps by East Aurora School District 131, Elgin, Chicago, Cook County and several counties as DHS’s Operation Midway Blitz continues in the Chicago area.