Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Immigration Surveillance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge Addison to block ICE from municipal property, seek review of surveillance contracts
Summary
Dozens of Addison residents pressed the Village Board Nov. 3 to ban ICE use of municipal property and to review or cancel surveillance contracts (notably Flock Safety), citing reported incidents and community fear; village officials said they have posted resources and changed campus signage, while legal counsel warned that an "ICE-free zone" ordinance may be preempted by federal law.
Dozens of residents told the Village Board of Addison on Nov. 3 that recent federal immigration-enforcement activity has left immigrant families afraid to go outside and asked the village to act.
"Who does the Addison Police Department serve? ICE or residents of Addison?" asked Maria Sincio during public comment, urging the board to pass an ordinance preventing ICE from staging, parking or using municipal property and to adopt a ban on drones used for surveillance.
The request drew widespread public support during a packed audience-participation period. Victor, a resident who said he works at a local school, urged the village to review all surveillance and data-sharing agreements — particularly contracts with Flock Safety — and to consider canceling cameras that collect license-plate and other data. "These systems frequently have AI enhancement errors," he said, citing high-profile cases where automated systems led to wrongful arrests.
Several speakers described personal encounters they said involved ICE agents, including Allison Galvin, who said agents circled her home. Others asked the board to post information about social supports for children whose parents are detained and to make clear the village stands with immigrant residents.
Village Manager Moranowicz acknowledged residents' concerns and said the village has already taken steps: "We made changes and new signs are up," he said, describing parking restrictions to limit access to staff-only areas and noting the village posted resource information on Oct. 14. He added that staff monitored one incident in a village parking lot several weeks ago and engaged with the responding officers.
Village Attorney (speaker 19) explained the legal constraints local government faces. He told the board that immigration enforcement is carried out under federal law and that a local ordinance designating municipal property as an "ICE-free zone" could be preempted by federal law and, if challenged, could expose the village to costly litigation. He said DuPage County recently stopped short of adopting an ordinance and instead adopted a resolution limiting access to certain county property for employees only.
The board did not adopt a new ordinance at the meeting. Officials said they would continue operational measures (signage and resource postings) and evaluate what further non-preempted steps the village can take.
Why it matters: Residents say local coordination with federal immigration enforcement erodes trust in public safety and deters people from calling for help. Village officials must balance community safety and legal exposure while deciding next steps.
What comes next: Officials said they will continue posting resources, enforce new signage on village property and review options that do not conflict with federal law; speakers urged the board to pursue additional policy and communications steps to reassure residents.
Representative quotes from the meeting were provided verbatim during public comment and from village staff remarks recorded at the Nov. 3 meeting.
