A new law being pushed in Illinois would make it illegal for law enforcement officers to arrest illegal aliens on the basis of their immigration status.
The Illinois Trust Act, as reported by FOX Illinois, would essentially mandate a statewide ‘sanctuary’ jurisdiction, where illegal aliens are not turned over to federal immigration officials and are released back into the general public.
The law would additionally ban law enforcement from arresting any illegal aliens who have been identified by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
Sophia Gehlhausen Anderson at the Diversity Center for the University of Illinois at Springfield said making Illinois a sanctuary state for illegal aliens would help attract more immigrants, but did not mention its potential impact on crime and safety.
“If immigrants or undocumented immigrants are fearful of local law enforcement officers, then they’re less likely to report crimes, they’re less likely to serve as witnesses for crimes,” said Anderson told the local FOX affiliate.
“If the Trust Act passes, it could definitely help our university and other universities in the state of Illinois to attract more immigrants,” Anderson said.
While Anderson said she supported illegal aliens being deported if they were to commit crimes, the sanctuary state legislation would make it more difficult for ICE to deport suspected or convicted illegal alien criminals.
It’s not just the state’s academic community supporting the sanctuary state bill. Now, after negotiations on the legislation, the Illinois Sheriff’s Association told FOX Illinois they no longer oppose the Trust Act.
In a statement, the Sheriff’s Association claimed that the legislation does not make the state a sanctuary state, although almost identical legislation pending in the state of California promises to do just that.
If Illinois does become a sanctuary state for illegal aliens, there could be consequences from the Department of Justice, which under the helm of Attorney General Jeff Sessions has promised to crack-down on similar jurisdictions.
In a recent speech from the former sanctuary city of Miami, Sessions blasted Chicago, Illinois, for its adamant support for open borders policies, as Breitbart News reported.
“If voters in Chicago are concerned about losing federal grant money: call your mayor,” Sessions told Chicagoans.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.
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