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Kankakee County residents urge board to protect immigrants' rights amid ICE concerns
Summary
Two residents told the Kankakee County Board on Feb. 11 that recent ICE actions and reports of mistreatment warrant county protections and clearer commitments from officials.
Gary Ciacio of the city of Kankakee and Araceli Sharper of Kankakee addressed the Kankakee County Board during public comment on Feb. 11, urging county officials to protect immigrants’ rights and to ensure enforcement of due process.
Both speakers said recent federal immigration enforcement actions have created fear among local residents. Gary Ciacio told the board he opposed unchecked immigration enforcement and asked the county to “commit to protect the rights of immigrants in our county from overreach by ICE.”
Sharper said the county’s Latino population exceeds 13,000 and described people who live and work in Kankakee County as “integral” to the community. She said some residents are avoiding work and school because of fear over enforcement actions and recounted a recent incident in a neighboring state where three people were detained, she said, for speaking Spanish until a relative located birth certificates showing U.S. citizenship.
Why it matters: Speakers asked county leaders to take steps to prevent what they characterized as unlawful detentions and to reassure residents that county officials will protect residents’ rights and access to services. Neither speaker proposed specific county ordinances or motions; both framed their remarks as requests for the board to “stand up” for immigrant and Latino residents.
Board response and context: The public-comment items were recorded during the meeting’s public comment period; no county action or formal directive was recorded during or immediately after those remarks. The transcript includes speakers’ accounts and claims about recent ICE conduct; the board did not record a motion or vote tied to these comments during the meeting.
Ending: The speakers asked the board to consider actions that would reassure immigrants and Latino residents. The transcript does not record any immediate follow-up motions, referrals or staff directions tied to these public comments.
