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Residents urge Bolingbrook to adopt 'Welcoming City' ordinance; officials cite legal limits
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Summary
Dozens of residents asked the village to pass a Welcoming City ordinance at the Nov. 18 meeting; Village Attorney and Mayor explained limits under the Illinois Trust Act and the U.S. Constitution and said the Village will document steps taken but will not adopt an ordinance at this meeting.
Dozens of residents urged the Mayor and Board of Trustees of the Village of Bolingbrook to adopt a Welcoming City ordinance during public comment at the Nov. 18, 2025 meeting, pressing local leaders for additional protections and signage related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.
The minutes record a list of speakers who called for the ordinance, including Ana Campo‑Casillo, Freya Knarr, Cat Knarr, Mavie Bran, Sophia Vitale and others. Diane Sellinger separately requested increased enforcement against illegal truck activity on Greene Road involving Super Ego trucks.
Village Attorney Burt Odelson addressed the issue in detail, explaining that under the Illinois Trust Act municipal law enforcement is directed not to assist federal immigration enforcement; he cautioned that some municipal ordinances that attempt to duplicate or expand on the Trust Act can be unenforceable if they conflict with federal law under the Supremacy Clause. Odelson said local law enforcement does not interact with ICE as a matter of policy and that unfunded or symbolic measures (for example, signage or putting the police “on alert”) could create a false sense of security or unintentionally place people at risk.
Mayor Mary S. Alexander‑Basta said the Village has taken steps to respond to residents’ concerns, including posting restricted‑access signage inside village buildings and coordinating patrols since about Oct. 8 with the Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project (SSIP); the minutes note two incidents in which ICE agents were on village property with no detentions and no interactions with officers. The mayor described meetings held Nov. 17 with community partners — including Senator Rachel Ventura, Valley View School District, Fountaindale Public Library District, Bolingbrook Park District and UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook — to share "Know Your Rights" information and discuss resources. She said the Village will post available flyers on the Village website and make printed copies available in Town Center lobbies.
Trustees responded to speakers with expressions of appreciation and sympathy while emphasizing limits on local authority to change federal immigration enforcement; several trustees encouraged residents to contact federal representatives for policy changes. Trustee Jose Quintero and Trustee Michael J. Carpanzano noted personal connections to immigrant communities and urged continued community engagement.
The mayor agreed to put in writing the steps the Village has taken and plans to take regarding local immigration concerns but stated the Village would not adopt an ordinance at the meeting. No executive session was held; the meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m.
What’s next: Administration will document and distribute the actions taken and resources referenced; no formal ordinance or policy change was adopted at the meeting.