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* Brenden Moore on the new law authorizing some non-citizens to become law enforcement officers…

Longtime statehouse observer Charlie Wheeler — once a reporter and later the director of the Public Affairs Reporting program at the University of Illinois Springfield — had an overarching maxim for the hundreds of reporters who were under his tutelage: “Read the bill.” […]

Yes, the law states that non-citizens legally authorized to work in the U.S. and DACA recipients can apply to be police officers. However, they must meet all the same requirements, besides citizenship, as any other applicant. […]

And, more importantly, they must be “authorized under federal law to obtain, carry, or purchase or otherwise possess a firearm.”

This is crucial context. The federal government generally allows permanent residents to purchase and possess guns. But it does not currently allow DACA recipients to do so. This means that until there’s a change in federal policy, many if not most DACA recipients likely will have to wait if the want to become police officers in Illinois.

There are some workarounds at the local level. In suburban Blue Island, for instance, there is a now a police recruit who is a DACA recipient. If successful in becoming an officer, the recruit would not be able to bring home a service weapon.

It’s a thoughtful piece, so go read the rest.

* Meanwhile, in news media “opposite land,” here’s Fox 32…

There are currently more than 30,000 DACA recipients living and working in Illinois, while at the same time unprecedented officer shortages statewide.

However, filling those vacant jobs with non-citizens is a non-starter for former Chicago mayoral candidate Dr. Willie Wilson, who, in an exclusive interview with FOX 32, condemned the legislation.

“I cannot go to China or any other country in the world being a non-citizen and become a police officer, and I think that’s wrong,” said Wilson. […]

Dr. Wilson isn’t willing to wait to see if the new law puts more boots on the ground. He said he has spoken to attorneys and if the law is not repealed before taking effect on January 1, 2024, he’s prepared to take his fight to the courts.

The station apparently didn’t ask what grounds Wilson believed he had to sue in the first place.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 1:37 pm

Comments

There isn’t one editor at Fox 32 that said “wait, we are going to quote and give air time to Willie Wilson on this topic? Seriously? I don’t think so, find someone else.” This is clown-college level reporting.

Comment by Red Ranger Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 1:45 pm
–didn’t ask what grounds Wilson believed he had to sue–

Doncha know? Having the filing fee is all he needs, to leverage the courts for the purpose of keeping his name in the news cycle.

“I cannot go to China or any other country in the world being a non-citizen and become a police officer, and I think that’s wrong”

wut?

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 1:46 pm
Whenever your newscast or radio talk show needs a healthy dose of authentic frontier gibberish, Willie Wilson is available.

Comment by Roadrager Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 2:04 pm
I guess I really don’t get the fear of a long term green card holder becoming a cop.

If nothing else, finding cops from Canada and having them be employed before they complete the citizenship process seems like a win.

For what it is worth it appears you can become a cop in Canada while a permanent resident.

Comment by OneMan Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 2:06 pm
==I cannot go to China ==

Yeah, because I think we should strive to be more like China. I think I would find a different country to use as my example.

==I think that’s wrong==

What’s wrong about it. These people are legal residents. This is just more fear mongering.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 2:17 pm
===“Read the bill.”===

This is something I learned back when the Affordable Care Act legislation was making its way through Congress. Right wingers were screaming about death panels in the bill. Killing grandma and grandpa.

So I read the bill (it took a while) and, lo and behold, it did not actually authorize death panels. What it actually provided for were review boards - just like every other insurance plan in existence and going back for as long as there have been health insurance plans.

In fact private health insurance plans had used review boards to deny coverage all over the place for decades. Horror stories of sick people suddenly being cut off from coverage were commonplace - one of the reasons Democrats wanted some form of nationalized health insurance coverage in the first place.

But back to the original point: read the bill. You’ll be glad you did, especially when you come across people who denounce a bill without ever having read a word of it.

Comment by Nick Name Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 2:21 pm
“cuckoo” - Richard M Daley

Comment by Jerry Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 2:27 pm
I don’t know much about this issue and haven’t worked up the energy to form an educated opinion. But if Willie Wilson’s opposed, then it’s probably an idea worth supporting.

I would support legislation to force Willie Wilson to change his name (or at least go by Bill or William). I always initially misread his name as Willie Nelson and find myself wondering when the Redheaded Stranger became such a jerk.

Comment by duck duck goose Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 3:09 pm
According to the google, we allow noncitizen residents to serve in the military. It seems incongruent that they can serve in Delta Force but not the Decatur Police Department.

Comment by duck duck goose Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 3:15 pm
Non-citizens are already serving as law enforcement officers in many places in Illinois, including Chicago, so people do need to calm down (although what fun would that be for them?/s). The DACA issue is interesting–not being able to buy a firearm, but arguably able to possess one (owned by the agency) while actually on duty. That also seems reasonable to me. Although it seems to eliminate places like Chicago that require officers to personally buy their firearms and most other personal equipment.

Comment by Leslie K Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 6:09 pm
I read the Bill twice. First to see what it says then second to how to exploit it to what I have heard.

Nothing in Bill concerns me.

Comment by FormerParatrooper Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 6:45 pm
Willie Wilson? Why on earth would a tv station ask him his opinion? The voters of Chicago certainly didn’t care.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Aug 3, 23 @ 9:16 pm