Illinois Landlords Ordered to Pay $80,000 for Threatening Tenants with ICE

The case marks the first judgment under Illinois' 2019 Immigrant Tenant Protection Act, aimed at safeguarding immigrant renters from harassment and retaliation.

A Cook County judge ruled that landlords Marco Antonio and Denise Contreras violated the Illinois Immigrant Tenant Protection Act by threatening to report tenants to immigration authorities during a 2020 rent dispute.
The tenants, Maria Maltos Escutia and Gabriel Valdez Garcia, were awarded $80,000 in damages, including compensation for denied access to personal belongings and penalties for the landlords' actions.
The 2019 law prohibits landlords in Illinois from using immigration status as a means to intimidate or retaliate against tenants, and this case is the first to result in a judgment under the legislation.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which represented the tenants, emphasized the ruling as a deterrent against similar landlord misconduct and a victory for tenant rights.
Illinois is one of only three states, alongside California and Colorado, with explicit legal protections for immigrant renters, reflecting broader efforts to combat housing-related discrimination.