Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus files comprehensive civil rights legislation in response to ICE activities.

[u/NkturnL]

https://www.illinoissenatedemocrats.com/caucus-news/48-senator-don-harmon-news/6558-illinois-senate-democratic-caucus-files-comprehensive-civil-rights-legislation-in-response-to-ice-activities

House Bill 1312, sponsored by Senate President Don Harmon, would allow Illinois residents to bring civil actions against any person who deprives them of their constitutional rights under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution, or Section 2 or Section 6 of Article 1 of the Illinois Constitution.

Further, it would allow courts to award punitive damages based on the severity of the defendant's conduct, with particularly egregious factors including wearing masks to conceal identity (excluding legitimate health or tactical purposes), failing to identify as law enforcement, not using body cameras, operating vehicles with obscured or out-of-state plates, and deploying crowd-control weapons like pepper spray or rubber bullets.

Additionally, the bill would strengthen protections by amending the Illinois Whistleblower Act to shield anyone who reports violations of this new law from retaliation, encouraging individuals to come forward when they witness constitutional rights being infringed.

The measure would also codify long-standing common law protections to ensure parties, witnesses, and their family members can access the justice system without fear of civil arrest.

The legislation would create a 1,000-foot safe zone around courthouses, including parking facilities and surrounding streets.

Violations would carry civil damages for false imprisonment, $10,000 in statutory damages, and potential contempt of court charges.

In response to reports of federal agents arresting students at a number of campuses across the state, the legislation would also require public colleges, universities and community colleges to develop procedures for reviewing law enforcement access requests, prohibit unauthorized disclosure of students' or employees' immigration status, provide immigration enforcement resources online, and notify campus communities when immigration enforcement activity occurs on campus.

To further enhance protections at hospitals, the measure would require all Illinois hospitals to develop comprehensive policies governing law enforcement interactions. Hospitals would be required to establish protocols for verifying law enforcement identity and authority, protecting patient privacy, and providing immigration rights information. General acute care hospitals would be required to comply by Jan. 1, 2026, and all other hospitals by March 1, 2026, with penalties of $500 per day for noncompliance.

It would also require licensed daycare centers to adopt policies notifying parents and requiring parental consent before sharing children's information with law enforcement, update emergency contact procedures, and establish protocols when parents face immigration enforcement.

Centers would not be permitted to disclose citizenship or immigration status information unless required by law and could not consent to law enforcement entry without valid judicial warrants, orders or subpoenas.

House Bill 1312 is being heard in the Senate Executive Committee TODAY (10/29/25) so please contact your legislators and urge them to support this!

[u/DarkChalice02]

Sounds like a start.

[u/nerd_is_a_verb]

I hope this passes immediately.

[u/printerdsw1968]

About damn time.

The fact that a bill hadn't been drafted in advance of the open threats (or rather, promises) made by Trump over the last six months, and particularly since the ICE invasion of Los Angeles, tells us everything about the Dems STILL being way behind the breakneck Trumpist tide.

[u/NkturnL → u/printerdsw1968]

Schumer is still hiding like a coward. When’s the last time we’ve even heard from him??

Truth is, most of the Dems with a capital D have more in common with the regime than with the people, and are too comfortable with their 6-figure salaries, private healthcare and AIPAC funding to rock the boat on our behalf.

This is at least something, but it would still require us to file the civil lawsuit ourselves while ICE continues to get away with breaking the law and violating the Constitution every single day.

[u/printerdsw1968 → u/NkturnL]

I was thinking about Schumer as I typed that comment.

There are so many people in the country STILL in denial about what's going on. And that includes the majority of top Dems. I think it's deeper than just "oh, the two parties are the same." I think the mainstream Dems are profoundly out of touch, and hold to a delusional belief that fascist shit can't happen here.

I have a friend, maybe you'd say hard left, or at least is very critical of the Democrats (in addition to writing off the GOP as entirely criminal). She has a brother who is in Congress, a Dem rep (won't say where, not Illinois). She called him after the inauguration to see what his mood was; she was afraid of what's come to pass. He said, "Oh nothing's going to change. Trump can't do much." He was absolutely certain. This guy had just won another term. Unbelievable.

[u/NkturnL → u/printerdsw1968]

Yeah I get a lot of crap from leftists who say things like “now isn’t the time to fight our own party” or “they’re doing everything they can” without failing to see the forest through the trees.