Illinois bars arrests of immigrants near courthouses, hospitals

Immigrants living in Illinois, among the states hit hardest by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, are now shielded from federal enforcement near courthouses, hospitals, university campuses and daycare centers under a law Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker signed Tuesday.

- ASSOCIATED PRESS

The law, which takes effect immediately, also provides legal steps for people whose constitutional rights were violated during the federal enforcement action in the Chicago area, including $10,000 in damages for someone unlawfully arrested while attempting to attend a court proceeding.

“Dropping your kid off at day care, going to the doctor, or attending your classes should not be a life-altering task,” Pritzker said at a bill signing in the largely Latino Little Village neighborhood in Chicago. “Illinois — in the face of cruelty and intimidation — has chosen solidarity and support.”

Critics complain the law will be overturned by the courts.