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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
DENOUNCING CALLOUS AND DECEPTIVE TACTICS OF FEDERAL AGENTS INCLUDING U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT AGENTS IN REGARD TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
WHEREAS, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 created the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, unifying separate federal departments into one Cabinet-level department that oversees a range of topics including immigration, border security, trafficking, and terrorism; and
WHEREAS, Homeland Security established Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2003 with the mission of protecting national security and enforcing our borders; and
WHEREAS, ICE has more than 20,000 law enforcement officers in more than 400 offices in the United States and around the world, counts with an annual budget of $8 billion, and whose work is carried out by units such as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO); and
WHEREAS, under the Trump Administration, ICE agents have increasingly used deceptive tactics and in some cases, brutal force to separate and intimidate immigrant families and individuals, many of whom do not have a criminal record; and
WHEREAS, attorneys, nonprofit organizations, and media outlets have reported agents using deceitful practices to arrest and detain individuals without a warrant; and
WHEREAS, it has been reported that ICE is arresting and detaining residents seeking legal status who are lawfully abiding by immigration procedures set forth by federal officials; and
WHEREAS, it has been reported that such arrests have occurred at immigration court hearings even after cases get dismissed upon ICE motions and at short-notice check-ins; and
WHEREAS, ICE agents have also engaged in “collateral arrests” that include individuals with lawful work permits, student visas, legal permanent residency, and in some cases, tourists, reporters, and U.S. citizens; and
WHEREAS, in their efforts to detain immigrants, ICE agents have engaged in physical altercations with peaceful protestors, many of whom are Cook County residents; and
WHEREAS, many ICE agents have resorted to using face coverings and refusing to provide identification while in their official capacity; and
WHEREAS, ICE agents have appeared in plain clothes and in unmarked cars without law enforcement insignia; and
WHEREAS, the use of plain clothes, unmarked cars, and lack of identification could lead to individuals impersonating ICE and federal authorities; and
WHEREAS, the tactics used by ICE agents are eroding public trust in local law enforcement and have undermined the safety and well-being of County residents; and
WHEREAS, Cook County is a Welcoming and Fair and Equal County; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, on behalf of the 5.2 million residents of Cook County, denounce the increasingly deceptive and callous tactics of ICE agents in its immigration enforcement and call for strong congressional oversight; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body and that an official copy of the same be tendered to Kristi Noem, United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Homan, Acting Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Sam Olson, Chicago Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director, and the Illinois Congressional delegation.
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