Despite federal immigration authorities making arrests in Chicago following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Oak Park will not assist in enforcement of civil federal immigration laws, according to a village statement Feb. 4.
The Trump administration has arrested more than 8,000 immigrants nationwide since the inauguration, promising to deport them, according to NBC News. Trump has ordered to turn facilities at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base into an immigration detention center and removed a policy preventing agents from targeting schools, hospitals and churches.
But village officials have stated that they will not use village resources, including staff, to assist. That includes, according to a news release, “not inquiring about, recording, or disclosing an individual’s immigration status unless required by law.”
“Every resident, regardless of immigration status, is entitled to access Village services without fear of deportation or other immigration-related consequences,” local officials stated.
In the fall of 2023, Oak Park started providing support to many asylum seekers. For months, many of those families and individuals stayed in village-sponsored shelters. By April 2024, approximately 201 migrants had been resettled into stable housing situations.
The release also states that village employees have been reminded to focus on delivering services and support to the public, not inquiring about immigrations status.
“The Village will continue to uphold the principle of confidentiality for residents and ensure that any personal information shared with the Village is not disclosed to federal immigration enforcement agencies, except in cases where disclosure is mandated by law,” village officials said.
Oak Park has said it is committed to maintaining a welcoming environment. The village is proud of its values of “diversity, equity, inclusion, safety, and respect for all people.” And promoting racial equity and social justice is a priority here, officials said.
The Illinois TRUST Act, adopted in 2017, limits how law enforcement interacts with federal immigration enforcement agencies. It prohibits law enforcement from making arrests or detaining individuals based on immigration status.
And on a local level, the Oak Park board of trustees designated the village as a “welcoming” one by ordinance in 2017. This ordinance codified the practice of the Oak Park Police Department and other village employees of not collecting immigration status of village residents and visitors.
“The ordinance makes it clear that immigration is a federal issue and does not involve the Village,” officials said.