Illinois lawmakers in predominantly Latinx communities vow to stand up for their constituents against President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans.
Trump has appointed Thomas Homan, who was director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under his first term, to become the next “border czar,” an informal and unelected position that will monitor border security and make immigration policy recommendations. Homan, who also led ICE’s enforcement and removal operations under Barack Obama, was responsible for ushering policies that separated families at the border. At a December appearance in Chicago, he claimed Chicago would be “ground zero” for his deportation strategy.
Governor J.B. Pritzker indicated he would oppose any Trump policies that hurt Illinoisians at risk. “To anyone who intends to come, take away the freedom and opportunity and dignity of Illinoisians, I would remind you that a happy warrior is still a warrior,” Pritzker said. “You come for my people, you come through me.”
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said the state will create legislation in response to any federal legislation that would target immigrants, but didn’t mention concrete measures. “We have proven for over 206 years to be a welcoming state,” Welch said in an interview. “We are going to continue to protect the values of Illinoisians. If we need to respond to what the Trump administration does we will be prepared to do that.”
Illinois lawmakers passed the Illinois TRUST Act in 2017, which restricts most of the local law enforcement agencies’ ability to work with ICE and its amendment. In 2021, legislators also passed the Way Forward Act, which provides worker security for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, prohibs ICE from holding detained immigrants in Illinois and prohibits contracts with detention centers in Illinois. Since then, lawmakers have focused on expanding bills such as the Human Rights Act to protect immigrants from employment discrimination due to status and the Illinois Identification Card Act to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license.
Chicago has been a “sanctuary city” since 1982, when then-mayor Harold Washington signed an executive order prohibiting City workers from assisting immigration investigations. In 2006, the City Council codified its status by passing the Welcoming City ordinance, which was revised and expanded in 2011 and 2021. The law prevents the City from requesting immigration status, providing people’s immigration status to authorities, or withholding resources from someone due to them being undocumented.
Chicago’s “sanctuary city” status has been attacked in recent years by conservative politicians such as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who bussed thousands of Venezuelan immigrants to Chicago over the past couple years. The influx of asylum seekers strained City resources and heightened tensions between communities that had been asking for more housing and other kinds of support for years.
At Wednesday’s City Council meeting, two Southwest Side alderpersons—Ray Lopez (15th Ward) and Silvana Tabares (23rd)—introduced an ordinance amending Chicago’s Welcoming City law that would permit local authorities to work with federal agents to find immigrants who have been suspected of crimes involving suspicion of “gang-related activities,” “drug-related activities,” “prostitution-related activities” or “sexual crimes involving minors”.
Against significant public opposition, the council voted 39-11 to table the ordinance.
“I oppose recent efforts to weaken our welcoming city,” said congressional Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia in a statement. “While I was Cook County Commissioner, I further strengthened protections by limiting local police coordination with ICE. Now, a group of misguided individuals attempt to undermine the community’s hard-fought protections under the pretense of public safety. We must oppose these attacks that will lead to enhanced racial profiling, separation of families, and the violation of civil rights of both immigrants and U.S. citizens.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office is urging City Council members to vote against the measure, and reportedly argued it would lead to over-policing in Black and Brown communities. “We will not bend or break,” Johnson said at a November press conference. “Our values will remain strong and firm. We will face likely hurdles in our work over the next four years but we will not be stopped and we will not go back.”
Rep. Delia Ramirez (D–3), who joined Congress last year after serving in the state legislature, wrote in a Nov. 11 press release that she will fight any Trump policies that separate families.
“The Trump administration’s goal is to inflict maximum damage on diverse American families, our children, and our communities,” Ramirez wrote. “To that end, it is no surprise Trump wants Tom Homan at the helm. But let it be known, I will fight like hell to keep our families together, and our communities are ready to be an obstacle at every turn as he tries to implement his cruel, vile, gruesome plan.”
Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr (D–23) said Trump’s administration brings a deeper fear for his constituents. His Mexican-majority district encompasses the Little Village and Brighton Park neighborhoods, and the Town of Cicero.
Gonzalez was a co-sponsor on the expansion of the Whistleblower Act which penalizes businesses for targeting employees who want to report violations to their boss.
Gonzalez said that the presidential election was a culmination of many different national Democrats’ failures but, most notably, for failing to connect with Latinx working-class voters and abandoning prior immigration policies. He said Illinois Democrats, especially those in the Latino Caucus, have done a decent job of messaging compared to national leaders.
“Some of it I can blame on ignorance, especially from the older members of the party, but some of it is negligence,” he said. “The negligence is becoming more apparent because us as immigrants and as Latino Democrats, especially Latino Democrat officials in Illinois, right now, we have done a great job of securing rights for immigrants, for working families, protecting the environment, and reproductive health. The Latino Caucus has been the stalwart supporters of all these issues.”
State Senator Celina Villanueva (D–12), who has a district office in Little Village, echoed a recently released statement from the Latino Caucus, which featured support of protections for immigrants.
“Our greatest safety is in the community. As leaders of this state, we pledge to use every tool at our disposal—legislative, legal, and otherwise—to protect our immigrant families from the threat of mass deportation,” the statement read. “We will not be intimidated and will not allow our communities to live in fear. As the saying goes, <i>el pueblo unido jamás será vencido</i>—the people united will never be defeated.”
The caucus also suggested families create a family safety plan if there is a fear of ICE enforcement in their area. Such a plan could include having an immigration attorney on call and being ready to stay silent and not show documents to authorities before an attorney arrives. Know-your-rights cards are also available online to download and print in English and Spanish.
Gonzalez said the Democrats have to be ahead in organizing and working with immigration advocacy groups. “Republicans have given us a gift with Project 2025, the actual book, because it told us how to prepare ” Gonzalez said, referring to a 900-page blueprint for the Trump administration prepared by the right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation. “And a lot of folks, organizations, and advocacy groups have figured out how they’re going to prepare based on Project 2025.”
Project 2025 outlines a concerted effort to mass deport immigrants across the country and tighten security of the border. “To maximize the efficient use of its resources, ICE should make full use of existing Expedited Removal (ER) authorities,” Project 2025 states. “The agency has limited the use of ER to eligible aliens apprehended within 100 miles of the border. This is not a statutory requirement.”
Expedited removal allows for ICE to deport immigrants who are apprehended within 100 miles of the border without proper paperwork. By removing this limitation, this could be applied across the country regardless of distance from the border.
State Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D–50) represents a community in which 25.4 percent of people are foreign-born and has an estimated 21,000 undocumented people. Hernandez said she and the Latino Caucus will work to defend immigrants’ rights ahead of any federal changes, such as by keeping money in the budget for immigrants and advocacy services.
Last year, the General Assembly worked to get $38 million for immigration services, but Hernandez said acquiring last year’s budget was already difficult. She is worried resource allocation will be more difficult as the 2025-2026 budget is estimated to have a $3.2 billion deficit.
“When it comes to funding, it’s going to be hard, it’s going to be very hard for next year,” Hernandez said. “We’re going to do our best as a Latino Caucus members, as a Latino Caucus, and [state legislature] to try our best to advocate for people and their families that are out there, but it is going to be a hard push, especially because as we see the deficit is going to be big and we don’t have a lot of revenue coming in.”
While the calls for mass deportation have been difficult for communities in her district, Hernandez said being prepared is important too.
“In my area, we have World Relief, Family Focused, and ICIRR (Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights),” she said, referring to pro-immigrant organizations who are beginning to mobilize. “Talk to them about those legal questions you may have. What you should be able to start doing to protect your family. Know your rights and also keep in touch with us so we’re aware of what is happening in your household and how we can advocate for families.”
Jacqueline Serrato contributed
Cesar Toscano graduated from Columbia Chicago with a B.A in Creative Writing and found love for journalism during his last year of college editing for the Columbia Chronicle. He is going to the University of Illinois Springfield to continue studying journalism.