By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – The local debate about undocumented immigrants has taken a new turn. The coalition of advocacy groups lobbying for a “welcoming ordinance” has announced it is opposed to the resolution to be considered by Bloomington aldermen Monday evening.

The Keep Families Together Campaign issued a news release late Friday night saying the resolution proposed by city staff “recognizing the importance of the immigrant community” is very different than the compromise drafted by the campaign, which represents nine advocacy groups.

The city staff’s proposal, the campaign contends, “does not take any meaningful action to limit collaboration” between the Bloomington Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Instead, the campaign believes it “institutionalizes and normalizes” policies allowing BPD in recent years to report to ICE residents suspected of being undocumented immigrants. Former Police Chief Brendan Heffner denied the department turned people in. Heffner said the department complies with Illinois’ Trust Act.

Unlike the ordinance adopted in Normal earlier this year, the campaign said there are no clear parameters how police will deal with ICE even though the police chiefs in both communities decide whether their departments should cooperate with the federal agents.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]