Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill into law Monday that some immigration lawyers say provides the strongest protections for immigrants of any state.
The Illinois Trust Act says that local and state law enforcement officials will not detain immigrants solely because they may be undocumented.
The Republican governor signed it at a Mexican restaurant in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
“This bill takes us in a step continuing to be a welcoming state,” Rauner said. “This was not an easy bill to pass; let’s be clear.”
Rauner has taken criticism from members of his own party who believe that local law enforcement officers should assist in immigration enforcement. But conservative supporters of the bill emphasized that it does not turn Illinois into a so-called “sanctuary state” because it does allow local and federal cooperation.