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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING ALL MUNICIPALITIES TO PASS LEGISLATION TO BAN ICE FROM GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
WHEREAS, on September 8, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security announced the unprecedented Operation “Midway Blitz”, which began the ongoing militarized immigration enforcement by ICE in and around the City of Chicago without proper due process for the hundreds of those detained; and
WHEREAS, in October 2025, as part of Operation “Midway Blitz” the Trump Administration took unparalleled actions and deployed hundreds of National Guard troops, including 300 from Illinois and 400 from Texas, for an initial period of two months; and
WHEREAS,on October 16, 2025, following these unprecedented attacks from ICE upon communities across Cook County and the unauthorized use of County resources, property, or personnel to facilitate civil immigration enforcement actions, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle signed Executive Order #2025-1; and
WHEREAS, Executive Order #2025-1 prohibits the use of County owned property, resources, and personnel for civil immigration enforcement activities and prevents ICE from using County owned property and resources for civil immigration enforcement actions including staging and debriefing from operations; and
WHEREAS, on October 6, 2025, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson singed Executive Order No. 2025-8, “Prohibiting the Use of City Parking Lots, Vacant Lots, and Garages for Civil Immigration Enforcement Staging Areas, Processing Locations, or Operations Bases”; and
WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 2025-8 created clear mechanisms to prohibit federal immigration agents from using any City-owned property in their ongoing operations in Chicago and directsCity employees immediately report any attempted use of City property for immigration enforcement; and
WHEREAS, on October 14, 2025, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans issued General Administrative Order No. 2025-10, “Common Law Privilege Against Civil Arrests for People Attending Court”; and
WHEREAS, General Administrative Order No. 2025-10 bans federal immigration agents from arresting people around local courthouses without a warrant; and
WHEREAS, on November 3, 2025, the Wheeling Village Board approved similar legislation with Resolution No. 25-161 “Resolution Prohibiting the Use of Village Parking Lots, Vacant Lots, and Garages for Civil Immigration Enforcement Staging Areas, Processing Locations, or Operations Bases,” was adopted and took effect immediately; and
WHEREAS, on October 13, 2025, the Evanston City Council also passedsimilar legislation with Resolution 93-R-25“Prohibiting the Use of City of Evanston Property for Federal Civil Immigration Enforcement Operations and Providing Direction on Implementation of the Welcoming City Ordinance”; and
WHEREAS, on November 17, 2025, the Arlington Heights Village Boardunanimously voted to ban immigration enforcement officials from using municipal property; and
WHEREAS, the ordinance, pending a final vote Dec. 1, would prohibit immigration agents from using any village-owned property, facilities or resources for the purpose of conducting civil enforcement operations, including municipal parking areas that have spaces normally open to the public,and would also include areas already closed off to the public at large, such as a parking lot behind the police station; and
WHEREAS, these resolutions, ordinances, executive orders, and general administrative orders are an exemplary exampleof Cook County and local governances’ dedication to preserving the rights of all across our communities and ensuring that all have the ability to work, study, and live without fear of having their physical or legal safety assaulted; and
WHEREAS, now more than ever, it is vital that leaders of all municipalities across Cook County and Illinois come together and commit to upholding the human dignity of all of our residents, regardless of immigration status; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby emphatically encourage all local governing bodies within Cook County, and across the State of Illinois, to pass similar ordinances and measures to ban ICE agents from using government-owned property, facilities, or resources for the purpose of conducting civil enforcement operations.
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