A bill that would allow certain immigrants to become police officers in the state of Illinois has been sent to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk to be signed into law.
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The measure would circumvent a federal law that prohibits non-U.S. citizens from becoming a police officer.
Illinois’ move would allow any immigrant with legal authorization to work, or who remains in the country under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Act, to apply for the position.
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During the debates on the Senate floor in May, Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) said, “To hand the power to arrest and detain a citizen of this state, or a citizen of any state in the United States, to a noncitizen is a fundamental breach of democracy. It is antithetical to the police power of any state.”
However, Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) said people from different backgrounds have been in law enforcement for a long time.
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