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Illinois Enacts Law Curbing Courthouse Immigration Arrests, Expanding Right to Sue Federal Agents

DHS calls the measure unconstitutional, setting up an expected court fight over Illinois’ limits on federal immigration enforcement.

Overview

  • Gov. JB Pritzker signed HB 1312 into law on Tuesday, and the measures took effect immediately across Illinois.
  • The law prohibits civil immigration arrests in or within 1,000 feet of state courthouses for people attending court proceedings.
  • Hospitals, colleges and licensed day care centers must adopt policies governing interactions with federal agents and restrict disclosure of immigration status information.
  • Individuals can bring civil suits against immigration officers for constitutional violations, with statutory damages of up to $10,000 for wrongful courthouse-related arrests.
  • The legislation follows Operation Midway Blitz in the Chicago area, where authorities reported more than 4,000 arrests, and it drew DHS criticism citing the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause as Republicans predicted court challenges.