ACLU Urges Illinois Officials Reaffirm Trust Act
The ACLU of Illinois Peoria Chapter asked local leaders to publicly recommit to the state law after ICE arrested 21 people in Peoria and Springfield.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Immigration
Live Poll
Should local police in your community cooperate with federal immigration enforcement?
The Peoria Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois issued a statement Wednesday calling on local elected officials and law enforcement leaders to reaffirm the Illinois Trust Act. The appeal follows ICE arrests of 21 people in Peoria and Springfield between Oct. 26 and Oct. 28.
Why it matters
The ACLU said reports of increased ICE activity have created fear and uncertainty, particularly within the Latino community. The Trust Act limits how state and local law enforcement can participate in federal immigration enforcement, making local officials' public commitments central to how it is applied across Central Illinois.
DHS said the 21 people arrested included individuals with final orders of removal and individuals with criminal histories, according to the extraction. The number of arrests in each city was not broken out in the available reporting.
The players
American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois
The ACLU of Illinois is the state affiliate of the national civil liberties organization, which litigates and advocates on constitutional rights issues.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
ICE is the federal agency responsible for immigration enforcement and removal operations within the United States.
The details
Constitutional rights apply during encounters with immigration officers, including the right to remain silent and the right to request an attorney. In many cases, those rights include declining entry into a home without a judicial warrant.
Timeline
Oct. 26 - Oct. 28: ICE arrests 21 people in Peoria and Springfield.
Wednesday, Nov. 4: ACLU Peoria Chapter issues statement urging reaffirmation of the Illinois Trust Act.
Legal Context
The ACLU's appeal centers on the Illinois Trust Act, which limits how state and local police may participate in federal immigration enforcement. Whether Peoria and Springfield officials publicly recommit to that statute will shape how it is applied during the current ICE operations.
Residents who encounter immigration officers have the right to remain silent, request an attorney, and decline entry into a home without a judicial warrant. Local officials' decisions on cooperation with ICE determine how much police involvement residents will see in enforcement activity.
The takeaway
Knowing your constitutional rights during an immigration encounter, including the right to refuse entry without a judicial warrant, can matter for anyone in Illinois. Watch for whether local officials publicly commit to the Trust Act in the coming weeks.
Further reading
For background on how state law shapes local cooperation with federal agents, see Immigration coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 25newsnow.
Live Poll
Should local police in your community cooperate with federal immigration enforcement?
