SPRINGFIELD – Local law enforcement officers will be prevented from acting as deputized immigration enforcement agents under a new law signed today.

State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) sponsored the Keep Illinois Families Together Act in the Senate. The law will prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies and officers from entering into or remaining in an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in order to enforce federal immigration law.

“With the toxic rhetoric surrounding immigration coming from the White House, people in my district are scared,” Harmon said. “This legislation takes a small step toward easing that fear by making sure they feel comfortable seeking assistance from police or reporting crimes.”

This law builds on the Trust Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from detaining someone solely on the basis of their immigration status.

House Bill 1637 is effective immediately.