As the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement raids continue across the Chicago area, a Kane County committee is moving forward a resolution expressing support for immigrant rights.
Last week, the Kane County Board’s Legislative Committee considered the measure, which was brought forward by District 1 board member Myrna Molina.
“I think we’ve heard from our communities, and we know what the county has jurisdiction over,” Molina said at Wednesday’s committee meeting. “What we’re seeing isn’t right, and we’re asking for your support in reforming what is currently happening.”
On Sept. 8, President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security announced that it had begun a surge of immigration law enforcement in Chicago, calling it “Operation Midway Blitz” and claiming it would target “criminal illegal aliens” who have benefited from the city and state’s sanctuary policies, according to past reporting.
The immigration crackdown unfolding since has been felt around Chicago and its suburbs, including in and around Kane County. On Saturday, for example, two protestors were arrested in Aurora after having confronted federal immigration agents at an elementary school in the city.
A few weeks prior, protestors outside Aurora City Hall decried the recent immigration enforcement in the city following federal officer sightings in the area. Federal immigration enforcement activity has also been seen in nearby towns like Elgin, Carpentersville, and Naperville.
The measure considered by the Kane County Board committee last week points to “aggressive” federal immigration enforcement activity in communities in Illinois, saying that those actions “erode public trust, discourage residents from reporting crimes or accessing services, and disproportionately target individuals based on race, ethnicity, or perceived immigration status.”
It also states that “many detained are workers and community members rather than public safety threats” and that “documented cases in Illinois show that even U.S. citizens have been wrongfully detained under such operations.”
The resolution further indicates the Kane County Board’s “commitment to upholding the rights, dignity, and safety of all residents” regardless of immigration status. It states that county departments and offices will “continue to provide services in a fair, equitable, and culturally responsive manner to all residents.”
Additionally, it calls on the state and federal government to enact “humane, comprehensive immigration reforms.”
Molina explained in an email that the intention behind the resolution is “particular to the scope of” the county’s Legislative Committee. The goal is to urge lawmakers to enact reforms that “protect due process, keep families together, prevent immigration enforcement in sensitive locations such as schools, places of worship and community centers, promote transparency and accountability, and ensure that no person is detained, deported, or targeted due to their race or ethnicity.”
Molina also mentioned that there are other related resolutions currently being reviewed by the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.
At last week’s Legislative Committee meeting, District 14 board member Jon Gripe expressed support for the resolution but proposed an amendment to also express support for law enforcement “whether they’re federal, state or local, that are doing their job the way they should.”
He clarified his intention was “not to water down or change this, it’s just to say, ‘Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. Let’s respect our officers when they do their job as they should, at any level.’”
Molina responded by saying she thinks law enforcement “is already aware that we respect them” and emphasized that “there needs to be accountability, and if they’re going against what the Constitution mandates, then they should be held accountable to that.”
District 8 board member Michelle Gumz, one of the committee’s co-chairs, acknowledged that she supports local law enforcement officers but stated she believes that support is “completely separate from this” resolution.
Gripe’s motion, which stated that the board “supports law enforcement officers in doing their difficult jobs in a challenging environment” and that they expect “all law enforcement entities to execute their jobs in compliance with the Constitution and all laws,” did not receive a second and so was not added to the resolution.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, a few individuals spoke both for and against the measure.
The resolution ultimately was passed by the committee, with Gripe voting “present” and the other board members present — Molina, Gumz, Cherryl Strathmann, and Michael Linder — voting in support of it.
The resolution is now set to go to the board’s Executive Committee and, if recommended, to the full board for final approval.
For further information, contact [email protected].
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/27/kane-county-immigrant-rights-measure/