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Elmhurst residents press council for local limits on ICE activity; council cites legal limits, offers coordination
Summary
Dozens of Elmhurst residents urged the City Council Nov. 17 to adopt local protections against federal immigration enforcement after recent detentions; the council acknowledged concerns but said it must comply with state law and the Illinois Trust Act and took no ordinance vote.
Dozens of Elmhurst residents told the City Council on Nov. 17 that recent immigration enforcement activity in the suburbs has left families, students and small businesses fearful and urged the city to adopt local protections.
Brenda Garcia, a fifth-ward resident and small-business advocate, proposed a local "welcoming city" ordinance modeled on measures in Chicago, Evanston and Oak Park that would prohibit municipal employees from inquiring about immigration status, restrict information-sharing with federal agents and require valid judicial warrants before agents access city facilities. "The city of Elmhurst can build upon existing state law by adopting a local welcoming city ordinance and actively educating residents and business owners about their constitutional rights," Garcia said.
Why it matters: multiple speakers described encounters they said were conducted by federal agents — including reports of arrests near…
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