The Governor signed HB 1312 to create more legal protections for immigrants in Illinois amid the Trump Administration's federal immigration enforcement actions in the state. He was joined by elected officials and community advocates at small community church in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood for a press conference.
Some major measures include restricting civil arrests in and around courthouses, preventing the unlawful release of protected health information at a hospitals, protecting the immigration status of students at universities and schools and safeguarding children and families at day care centers.
The governor says "he's signing the slate of laws designed to protect our people to recognize the dignity of our people and to uphold the values of our constitution."
The Governor was joined Illinois Senate President Don Harmon and Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch, among other members of the General Assembly.
The bill also outlines a clear pathway for a person to sue any law enforcement officer who knowingly violates their Illinois or Constitutional rights during civil immigration enforcement operations.