By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – An ordinance seeking to ease concerns among undocumented immigrants in Bloomington will be presented to the city council Monday night.
It’s not called a “welcoming resolution.” Rather, it’s an “ordinance recognizing the importance of the immigrant community.”
Mayor Tari Renner has called for a vote on the ordinance at a special meeting to be held 5:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall, prior to the regularly scheduled 7 p.m. council meeting.
A key provision is similar to one adopted two months ago in Normal. It empowers the police chief to approve the sharing and exchange of information about immigration enforcement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
What’s different is that Normal’s resolution specifically requires the chief to weigh public safety versus the impact cooperation with ICE might have on relations between police and immigrant communities.
In a report to aldermen, the city attorney says the proposed ordinance incorporates language from Illinois’ Trust Act, which prohibits someone from being detained solely on the basis of that person’s immigration status.
To “promote a welcoming and safe community,” the ordinance states that police will not inquire about the citizenship status of people who either report or commit crimes.
On her Facebook page, Alderman Diana Hauman wondered if there are any differences between the already-existing Trust Act and Bloomington’s resolution.
The Trust Act, signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner, proved to be so controversial that it was one of the reasons Rauner faced opposition for reelection within his own party and nearly lost the Republican nomination. His critics, including opponent Jeanne Ives, said the Trust Act made Illinois a “Sanctuary State.”
The special meeting will be held at city hall even though Monday’s session is likely to attract a standing-room only crowd. Some council members criticized Renner for wasting city dollars by moving a meeting last December on the resolution to the larger Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
