Council amends part‑time police hiring code to comply with Illinois law on work authorization

The City Council approved an update to the municipal code that removes a U.S. citizenship requirement for part‑time police officers so the city’s ordinance conforms to Illinois law. Councilors discussed that Illinois changed state law effective Jan. 1, 2024, to permit employment by local police departments for individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States, including those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, rather than requiring U.S. citizenship. The amendment affects the part‑time officer section of the code; full‑time hiring language did not previously include an explicit citizenship requirement. A staff speaker explained the city’s ordinances must match state statute to avoid legal risk: “we cannot deny employment to someone on the basis of them not being a U.S. citizen because the law in Illinois does not require U.S. citizenship.” Council members agreed the city should align with state law or risk litigation. The motion to amend the code and adopt Ordinance 2855 passed at the meeting. Ending: The ordinance was amended and adopted to reflect state law; no additional implementation steps were recorded beyond updating the city code.