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* Background on Adams County Sheriff Anthony Grootens is here, here, here and here if you need it. Capitol News Illinois and the Medill Illinois News Bureau…
As the U.S. government escalates immigration raids in Illinois and nationwide, some Illinois sheriffs are expressing support and a desire for greater cooperation with federal immigration enforcement despite state laws that limit their involvement.
A survey of Illinois sheriffs by the Medill Illinois News Bureau for Capitol News Illinois revealed that over two-thirds of those who responded are frustrated by the state law and would favor repeal or changes. A few described actions that appear to conflict with state restrictions.
“What are they going to do to you?” Adams County Sheriff Anthony Grootens asked regarding the consequences of violating state law. “Are they gonna have me lock myself up in my own jail?”
The sheriff’s question isn’t really answered in the story.
* From Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s most recent local law enforcement guidance…
…Illinois law enforcement agencies are subject to the Illinois TRUST Act, which helps bolster community trust and cooperation by affirming that law enforcement agencies in Illinois are largely prohibited from participating in immigration enforcement. And, under the Voices of Immigrant Communities Empowering Survivors (“VOICES”) Act, Illinois law enforcement officers must follow specific procedures to support immigrants victimized by violent crime or human trafficking who help law enforcement investigate or prosecute criminal activity. In 2021, the Illinois General Assembly expanded the protections and obligations in both these laws through a new law, the Way Forward Act. The Way Forward Act also authorizes the Attorney General of Illinois to conduct investigations and bring civil enforcement actions to ensure compliance with the TRUST Act and the VOICES Act.
* From state statute…
(5 ILCS 825/30)
Sec. 30. Attorney General enforcement provisions. In order to ensure compliance with this Act:
(a) The Attorney General shall have authority to conduct investigations into violations of this Act. The Attorney General may:(1) require a law enforcement agency, law enforcement official, or any other person or entity to file a statement or report in writing under oath or otherwise, as to all information the Attorney General may consider necessary;
(2) examine under oath any law enforcement official or any other person alleged to have participated in or with knowledge of the alleged violation; or
(3) issue subpoenas, obtain records, conduct hearings, or take any other actions in aid of any investigation. In the event a law enforcement agency, law enforcement official, or other person or entity fails to comply, in whole or in part, with a subpoena or other investigative request issued pursuant to this paragraph, the Attorney General may compel compliance through an action in the circuit court.
(b) Upon his or her own information or upon the complaint of any person, the Attorney General may maintain an action for declaratory, injunctive or any other equitable relief in the circuit court against any law enforcement agency, law enforcement official, or other person or entity who violates any provision of this Act. These remedies are in addition to, and not in substitution for, other available remedies.
(Source: P.A. 102-234, eff. 8-2-21.)
And we’re still waiting on action.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 12:47 pm
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==revealed that over two-thirds of those who responded are frustrated by the state law==
Your job is to follow the law. Period. You wanna make the laws then run for the General Assembly. Otherwise do your job and shut up.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 12:58 pm
Extreme legislation like the trust act predictably brings these sorts of actions from sheriffs. The Illinois Dems have lost the consent of the governed each time they pass legislation that is out of step with the reality of Illinois.
Comment by James Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 1:04 pm
Nearing the end of his second term and pursuing a third…can anyone name one issue that AG Raoul has taken the lead on?
Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 1:13 pm
Respectfully suggest that throwing law enforcement officers in jail for this is the antithesis of the left gaining ground with those in the middle.
Crime is gigantic loser for the left that has been left unattended and ignored for so long that a monster using outrageous tactics now owns this issue . . . . .owns it. The last Cook County States Attorney was a disaster.
Let’s start with this, anyone on the bad guy end of a gun crime gets 15 years in jail. Line in the sand, we are done with this nonsense. That would be opposed on the left. Not sure one gets a seat at the adult table opposing guns not willing to throw gun criminals in jail.
I am well aware of the pitfalls in our Judicial system. Simply suggesting that the passive approach has been tried in many places and is being rejected as an abject failure.
p.s. - a more moderate Dem wins the next Presidential cycle. Center left and right moderates would vote for Rahm. He sounds sensible as compared to the extreme elements on both sides.
Comment by And then again . . . Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 1:16 pm
===throwing law enforcement officers in jail for this===
Who’s saying that?
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 1:18 pm
=Otherwise do your job and shut up.=
Amen.
=Extreme legislation like the trust act predictably brings these sorts of actions from sheriffs. The Illinois Dems have lost the consent of the governed each time they pass legislation that is out of step with the reality of Illinois.=
Hyperbole much? Also, have you checked election results over the last decade? It would seem that you and the ilgop are the ones out of step with the reality of Illinois. Math is hard though.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 1:18 pm
Sheriff openly admitted to breaking the law and flaunting the lack of consequences. Great example. You follow the law but me no im above it.
Comment by Enough already Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 1:18 pm
The Republican Party is the law and order policy. The AG should give the sheriff the law and order they crave. They swore an oath the AG should enforce the law and go after them.
Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 1:26 pm
“Let’s start with this, anyone on the bad guy end of a gun crime gets 15 years in jail.”
You are quite literally describing what is already the law in many instances in Illinois- a sentencing structure that is among the most punitive in the country. Harsher penalties do not create public safety.
https://www.restorejustice.org/legal-explainer/explainer-firearm-sentence-enhancements/
“Crime is gigantic loser for the left that has been left unattended and ignored for so long”
Historic majorities in the General Assembly, a few clean sweeps in the statewides, and plenty of downballot victories in the last few cycles beg to differ. Maybe Illinois voters have a more nuanced take on public safety than you give them credit for.
Comment by The Opinions Bureau Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 1:28 pm
=You are quite literally describing what is already the law in many instances in Illinois- a sentencing structure that is among the most punitive in the country.=
The decision to charge culprits varies wildly from Cook to the western suburbs. Law enforcement personnel routinely tell stories of criminals asking the question when apprehended “are we still in Cook County?” Sorry dude, you crossed over to DuPage - pretending that this doesn’t exist is again forfeiting the issue to crazies on the right.
Those living in crime infested and dangerous neighborhoods are not looking for a lecture on the history of the system. They simply want to feel safe in their own home.
As for the politics of it all - there is no moderate voice of reason left in our public discourse. They were the adults in the room for decades. Literally extinct now.
Comment by And then again . . . Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 1:43 pm
The problem I see here is a weak AG that won’t enforce the law. If he won’t do it, he should get a primary opponent.
Comment by ChicagoVinny Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 1:43 pm
—- The Illinois Dems have lost the consent of the governed each time they pass legislation that is out of step with the reality of Illinois.
Except that’s what we have elections about. A sheriff is an agent of the state government and thus must abide by state law. Groove a can disagree all he wants and even advocate for changing the law. He may not choose to actively flout the law. This isn’t a discretionary area such as whether you arrest someone.
Grooten wants it to be one way and it’s not
Comment by Archpundit Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 1:55 pm
—-Those living in crime infested and dangerous neighborhoods are not looking for a lecture on the history of the system. They simply want to feel safe in their own home.
That’s great but we are talking about enforcing civil immigration law in Adams County. Feds are welcome to present judicial warrants and every sheriff in the state will comply. It’s the Feds job to enforce immigration law and the State Government has, for good public safety reasons, declined to participate. There isn’t a Sheriff Grootens is a special boy above the law clause in those laws.
Comment by Archpundit Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 2:02 pm
“If he won’t do it, he should get a primary opponent.”
I was surprised that he didn’t after he upset so many pro-choice advocates with the settlement a couple years back.
Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 2:07 pm
Wish the outrage was the same when various states attorneys were using “prosecutorial discretion” to flaunt state law for charging criminal offenders.
Comment by Stan Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 2:16 pm
How much of these Sheriffs’ budgets come from the state?
Comment by Chicago Blue Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 2:19 pm
=from Cook to the western suburbs.=
I guess I will tell him…some of the western suburbs are in Cook County. I visit my family there all the time. They feel as safe or safer than I do in rural Illinois. They have much more local and County law enforcement. All of our friends that live there feel very safe as well.
Cook county isn’t crime infested.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Sep 29, 25 @ 2:33 pm