South Central Reporter

The Washington Township GOP is bringing light to a piece of legislation awaiting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature that would allow undocumented immigrants to become police officers. 

The bill has received both Senate and House approval and is currently awaiting the governor's signature, but its implementation is contingent on changes to federal laws regarding the legal possession of firearms by non-citizens.

“Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) is considering signing legislation into law that would allow illegal aliens, enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, to become police officers in the sanctuary state,” Washington Township GOP said on Facebook. “Democrat legislators, with a supermajority in the Illinois House and Senate, passed legislation late last month that would allow thousands of DACA illegal aliens living in the state to become police officers or deputy sheriffs.” 

The Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 adds that "an individual against whom immigration action has been deferred by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process is allowed to apply for the position of police officer, deputy sheriff, or special policeman, subject to specified requirements." 

“The legislation has been pending before Pritzker since mid-June but he has not signed it into law. Even if Pritzker vetoes the bill, though, Democrats in both legislative chambers can override that veto with their supermajority powers,” Washington Town GOP said. “In the sanctuary state of California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has made it possible for illegal aliens to become police officers on the local, county, and state levels.” 

The Washington Town GOP highlighted a “law, implemented earlier this year, requires only that officers have a work permit issued by the federal government. Work permits, specifically under President Joe Biden’s administration, are given out regularly to border crossers and illegal aliens released into the United States after crossing the southern border.”

House Bill 3571, would allow non-U.S. citizens to serve as deputy sheriffs and police officers with arrest powers over U.S. citizens if they are legally authorized to work in the United States and possess firearms under federal law.

The move would go against a federal law that establishes police must be citizens. Opponents argue that granting non-citizens the power to arrest U.S. citizens would be a violation of democratic principles, CBS News reported.

State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) said allowing non-citizens to be police is a basic breach of democratic order. 

“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 non-citizen is a fundamental breach of democracy. It is antithetical to the police power of any state,” Rose said on the Senate floor in May, according to MyStateline.com.