The Will County Board will postpone a vote on a resolution addressing the ongoing immigration debate just days after a board committee voted in favor of it along party lines.
The board’s Executive Committee, which is made of board leadership and committee chairs, said Thursday the resolution needed to be reworked and postponed it indefinitely. The board will not take up the immigration resolution at its regularly scheduled meeting Oct. 16, the Executive Committee decided.
Legislative Committee Chair Destinee Ortiz, a Romeoville Democrat, introduced the resolution Tuesday to declare Will County’s commitment to ensure communities can live and work without fear.
Ortiz said the resolution was in response to aggressive enforcement actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, that caused widespread fear and eroded trust in institutions. The resolution states residents, regardless of immigration status, should be able to “live in safe communities, access public resources, and participate in civic life without fear of harassment, profiling, or unjust detention.”
Ortiz said she is concerned about immigration activity happening in Will County communities, citing a report from September in Naperville where officers detained individuals working on a roof.
She said people are being targeted based on their appearance.
The board’s Legislative Committee voted to encourage state and federal governments to adopt policies that would prohibit immigration enforcement in courthouses, schools and other sensitive community locations and ensure no one is detained or deported solely due to racial or ethnic profiling.
The committee approved adding language to encourage ICE agents to identify themselves and not wear masks, unless medically necessary, to improve public trust. While the board does not have authority to create policies for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, some board members said they hoped the federal government would consider these suggestions.
Speaker Joe VanDuyne, a Wilmington Democrat, said Thursday the resolution needs work. He said he is trying to get both Democrats and Republicans to work together to compromise on county business, which was echoed by both the Republican and Democratic leaders.
Jim Richmond, the Republican Leader from Mokena, said the board is working toward being more cohesive and building better relationships.
About 200 to 300 people emailed the county regarding the resolution, said Chuck Pelkie, the board’s chief of staff. Emails submitted were on both sides of the immigration issue, he said.
Some County Board Republicans said they were concerned the language in the resolution was false or misleading. They also said the board can’t ask ICE agents not to wear face coverings because the board has no power to do so.
Some members were also concerned whether it read like a proclamation, which are typically honorary or celebratory gestures.
The board will only issue limited proclamations as long as they are not divisive and everyone agrees on them, after concerns that proclamations were becoming too partisan.
Ortiz said the resolution does not create laws but rather is the board’s “formal opinion” that can be given to both state and federal legislators.
“It’s about taking a stance,” she said Thursday.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter.