Hernandez Passes Measure Pushing Back Against “Operation Midway Blitz” Operations

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As Illinois communities continue to push back against violent, inhumane immigration enforcement actions by federal officials, state Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D- Cicero, backed measures to prevent certain operations at or near courthouses and add safeguards for undocumented people at hospitals, daycares and on college campuses.

“In no scenario is it permissible for federal immigration officials to launch from unmarked vans, throw innocent people to the ground, detain them and ship them to some unknown location or detention center where they are denied their constitutional rights,” Hernandez said. “Too many in my community have had to put the pieces together as to where their family member went, how to contact them and if they are ever able to come home.”

Hernandez supported House Bill 1312 which allows for a private right of action against agents who, in the process of conducting immigration enforcement, knowingly violate the Illinois and U.S. Constitutions. Considering factors in a case could include if an agent wore a mask, failed to reveal identity as an agent or used nonlethal chemical weapons.

The Hernandez-backed legislation also establishes protections for those without citizenship including at:

• Courthouses: prohibits civil immigration arrests at or near courthouses and provides civil penalties for violations and attorney fee recovery.
• Hospitals: requires hospitals to create formal policies for handling law-enforcement interactions, bars cooperation with immigration enforcement unless there is a judicial warrant and protects patient immigration-related information.
• Daycares: prohibits disclosing immigration information about children or families and requires policies and training to protect children if a parent faces immigration action.

Additionally, the legislation establishes protections for Illinois college students in the midst of growing immigration raids in the state. It specifically bars universities from disclosing citizenship information, requires staff to be trained on verifying immigration warrants and helps students access immigrant rights resources.

“What is encouraged by this administration to occur in our streets is unacceptable behavior for a country founded on the immigrant experience,” Hernandez said. “This legislation fights back and sets clear boundaries for how these operations are conducted in the state of Illinois. We are not going to sit by while mothers are kidnapped outside grocery stores or day laborers are ripped from their work trucks.”