Illinois
A high-level overview of immigration enforcement activity, school protection policies, and resources for families and educators in Illinois.
Overview
State context
Illinois has strong state-level protections for immigrant communities. The TRUST Act (2017) limits state and local law enforcement cooperation with ICE. The Illinois Way Forward Act (2021) further strengthened protections. Chicago Public Schools has had a formal policy limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement since 2012 and updated it significantly in 2017. Many suburban and downstate districts have also adopted policies.
ICE activity
ICE is active in the Chicago metro area and in agricultural communities in central and southern Illinois. The Chicago field office covers a large region. However, city and county non-cooperation policies limit information sharing and detainer compliance.
School policies
Chicago Public Schools' policy requires a judicial warrant before immigration enforcement officers can enter non-public school areas, prohibits staff from asking about immigration status, and establishes clear escalation procedures. The Illinois State Board of Education has issued guidance encouraging all districts to adopt similar protections. Cook County and many collar county districts have formal policies.
Notes for advocates
Illinois is one of the leading states for school protection policy, second only to California in the breadth of implementation. Chicago has a large population of undocumented immigrants, particularly from Mexico and Central America. Advocates have documented the positive impact of school protection policies on attendance and family engagement. Downstate communities in the meat processing corridor also have significant immigrant populations.
Is your district protected?
Find out whether your school district has a warrant-based policy in place, and what you can do if it doesn't.