Question of the day
Monday, Aug 2, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
Illinois will effectively end immigration detention and strengthen protections limiting cooperation with federal immigration agents under a plan signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday, August 2.
The measure targets local agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) allowing county jails to house immigrant detainees awaiting court appearances.
Current contracts would end by January and no new contracts would be allowed. Three counties - Kankakee, Pulaski and McHenry - have such agreements and currently house roughly 260 immigrant detainees.
Proponents of the law say it’ll end inhumane practices in Illinois and encourage alternatives. But some counties argue they’ll lose much-needed revenue.
* The Question: Your thoughts on this new law?
- Lake County Mom - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 3:13 pm:
Putting dollars over people seems to be all the rage in Republican circles.
I’m glad I live under a Democratic governor.
- SWIL_Voter - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 3:20 pm:
Revenue is no justification for inhumanity. If the feds can’t create a humane immigration system, we should distance ourselves from its horrors to whatever extent is possible
- Anyone Remember - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 3:22 pm:
Long overdue. Until ICE quits using “administrative warrants” and only uses “judicial warrants” Illinois should not cooperate with them. If the IRS can’t take your house with an “administrative warrant” then ICE shouldn’t be able to incarcerate people with an “administrative warrant.”
- TheInvisibleMan - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 3:28 pm:
It’s not about revenue. That’s merely the least offensive thing to say publicly.
If it was only about revenue for the county, McHenry would have been first across the line in legalizing cannabis.
Lets be blunt. The 3 sheriffs in these counties are angry about losing the ability to use the power of the state to imprison minorities.
- Dotnonymous - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 3:33 pm:
Good on Governor Pritzker.
- Larry Saunders - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 4:35 pm:
Stop arresting and charging everyone indiscriminately. Reduce jail populations and reduce costs.
- Responsa - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 4:56 pm:
==Stop arresting and charging everyone indiscriminately.==
I suspect ICE believes they are not charging “everyone” or charging “indiscriminately”. There are some bad people in immigration detention with criminal records that makes them unsafe to the public. Wouldn’t it be more wise to have alternatives in place to house these detainees as they await their court dates before ending these contracts?
- Anyone Remember - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 5:15 pm:
===Wouldn’t it be more wise … .===
It would be more wise to require ICE get “judicial warrants” … .
- 47th Ward - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 8:54 pm:
To the question,
Kankakee County, among other jurisdictions, sold bonds to build a new jail near the airport. They had sufficient reasons to modernize their detention facilities, no doubt. But there are perverse incentives dangled by the the federal government that encourage detention over what has historically been a civil justice or administrative justice (as opposed to criminal justice) procedure, where detention was a rare event.
To the extent that our state government can erase or mitigate the unfortunate federal incentives to detain otherwise law abiding people, I’m in favor of that.
- Veil of Ignorance - Tuesday, Aug 3, 21 @ 8:27 am:
Illinois and the Governor should be proud. Leading the nation on immigrant rights.