Trust Act, or Sanctuary State Bill, could soon become law
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WRSP) — The Illinois Trust Act, also known as the Sanctuary state bill, could soon become law if Governor Bruce Rauner doesn't act on the legislation.
If passed into law, the Illinois Trust Act would prevent any law officer in the state from arresting someone based on their immigration status.
It also prevents local law enforcement from arresting someone who's been identified by ICE, as an undocumented immigrant.
"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 Sophia Gehlhausen Anderson with the Diversity Center at UIS.
She says local law enforcement losing power to detain people, solely based on their immigration status, is great news for many of the immigrant students she works with.
"If the Trust Act passes, it could definitely help our university and other universities in the state of Illinois to attract more immigrants," Gehlhausen said.
The Illinois Sheriff's Association no longer opposes the legislation after months of negotiations.
Those negotiations eliminated parts of the bill that would have restricted their power even more.
In a statement, the Sheriff's Association said the Trust Act in no way makes Illinois a "sanctuary state."
Gehlhausen Anderson says it's wrong for officers to arrest someone based on their immigration status, but she says undocumented immigrants should be punished if they break the law.
"If an undocumented immigrant commits a crime, I'm not opposed to deporting them, depending on the severity of the crime," she said.
The Illinois Trust Act could become law within two weeks if the Governor doesn't take action on the bill.
