NPR -- Amanda Vinicky
Immigration status alone will no longer be a valid reason for the Illinois State Police to detain someone, under an order issued Mon., Jan. 5 by Gov. Pat Quinn.
In the executive order, Gov. Quinn says that "community policing efforts are hindered" when immigrants who are victims of, or witness to, crimes are wary of cooperating for fear they'll be deported.
His order prohibits state law enforcement agencies from taking or keeping someone in custody, because of an immigration detainer. That's how U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement marks a suspected undocumented immigrant for possible deportation. Quinn says the ICE detainer requests are voluntary; and he, says, they have been erroneously placed on U.S. citizens.
Quinn's order only applies to agencies under the governor's control: state troopers, and conservation police.
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