Residents urge Bolingbrook to ban ICE use of village property; village attorney cautions on legal limits
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Summary
At the Feb. 17 meeting residents called on Bolingbrook to pass an ordinance banning ICE and federal agents from using village property; Village Attorney Burt Odelson said such ordinances may be legally limited and called them 'worthless, feel-good' measures while trustees expressed support and pledged further review and outreach.
Several residents at the Feb. 17 Bolingbrook Mayor and Board of Trustees meeting urged officials to adopt a local ordinance preventing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal agents from using village property for immigration enforcement; trustees and the village attorney discussed the legal limits of such local action.
Giselle Rodriguez, executive director of Illinois Workers in Action, said the organization wants more transparency about what the Village is doing to make residents feel "safe and 'seen'" and offered collaboration with village leadership. "IWA is ready to collaborate with Village leadership to support those who live in fear," she said.
Johan Salome of Illinois Workers in Action said he understands that while a local ordinance is technically possible, state authorities may lack enforcement power over federal action; he called an ordinance a message to residents and invited the public to a town-hall the next day at Fountaindale Public Library.
Local resident Laura Michelsen urged the Village to pass an ordinance banning ICE from Village property, saying the 10th Amendment allows municipal lawmaking and presenting a petition from a vigil held the previous evening.
Village Attorney Burt Odelson warned the board and the public that, in his view, some locally proposed ordinances provide only symbolic protections and may not change federal enforcement outcomes. He noted parallel legal matters including ongoing litigation over the Trust Act and that Illinois American Water filed appellate briefs in a separate rate-case matter. "In response to the public comments calling for an ordinance, he said that they are 'worthless, feel-good' pieces of paper that give a false sense of security," the minutes record.
Trustees expressed appreciation for resident engagement and for Illinois Workers in Action’s advocacy. Trustee Troy J. Doris and Trustee Bhavini K. Patel both thanked participants and voiced support for continued collaboration and discussion; Trustee Jose Quintero praised the Bolingbrook Police Department for professional handling of a recent student protest and highlighted the department’s rapport with students.
Mayor Mary S. Alexander-Basta recognized the upcoming start of Ramadan and suggested that Johan Salome contact Police Chief Michael Rampa to learn more about existing police protocols.
The meeting record does not show that the board voted on any ordinance restricting federal agents; the discussion concluded with trustee statements and no formal direction to adopt the petitioned ordinance reported in the minutes.