SPRINGFIELD — During the few days in the past months when State Senator Graciela Guzmán has not been on the front lines responding to ICE agents in her community, she helped to pass a measure expanding protections for immigrant Illinoisans from being detained at several sensitive locations, including hospitals, courthouses, daycares, and higher education institutions.

“Past federal administrations have respected that a person’s immigration status is not more significant than their ability to receive life-saving medical care from a hospital,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Unfortunately, as our community members have experienced firsthand, this administration does not have the same morality. Their targeting of individuals in some of their most vulnerable moments, like going to court to testify on domestic violence cases or receive essential health care, is deplorable and should concern all Americans, not just those who are being profiled currently.”

House Bill 1312 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.

The bill would establish enhanced punitive damages for particularly egregious conduct, such as concealing identity with masks, failing to identify as law enforcement, not using body cameras, or deploying crowd-control weapons. It also would strengthen the Illinois Whistleblower Act to protect those who report violations and creates a 1,000-foot safe zone around courthouses with significant penalties for violations, including $10,000 in statutory damages.

The legislation further would require public colleges and universities to establish procedures for reviewing law enforcement access requests and would prohibit unauthorized disclosure of immigration status. Similarly, all Illinois hospitals would be required to develop comprehensive policies for law enforcement interactions by early 2026, with $500 daily penalties for noncompliance. Licensed daycare centers would also be required to adopt policies for interacting with law enforcement, including parental notification and consent requirements before sharing children's information, while prohibiting disclosure of citizenship or immigration status unless legally required.

“In my own community, ICE threatened to disrupt a person’s access to care and detain them despite them being treated for a broken leg, even going so far as to handcuff an alderperson who was in their way,” said Guzmán. “These agents will stop at nothing to abduct our residents, and prey on folks who are more vulnerable to incite terror and fear.”

House Bill 1312 passed the Senate on Thursday.