A push to keep courts accessible — and victims safe

Cook County commissioners are asking fellow county officeholders to sound the alarm when federal immigration agents show up at courthouses and other public buildings, an effort spurred by recent detentions that officials fear could keep domestic violence victims from seeking help. The nonbinding resolution, adopted this month, denounces deceptive practices by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and urges county agencies to provide “official communication of interactions related to immigration enforcement that occur within County buildings, on County property, or with County staff from all Cook County agencies, departments, and bureaus,” according to Sanitized local reporting.

The move follows incidents in which ICE detained two people at Cook County domestic violence courthouses in recent weeks, raising alarms that victims or their families might avoid appearing in court. Commissioners said they want residents to know if agents have been spotted around government buildings so people can make informed decisions about whether to stay away, Sanitized local reporting shows.

What the resolution sets in motion

At a news conference, commissioners Jessica Vasquez and Alma Anaya — the resolution’s chief sponsors — joined Board President Toni Preckwinkle, immigration advocates, and more than half the County Board to criticize enforcement practices they say undermine due process. Their concerns included the use of unmarked cars, plainclothes officers, covered faces, and a refusal to provide identifying information, according to Sanitized local reporting. Vasquez and Anaya said a goal is to share information with existing, on-the-ground networks that already circulate alerts about ICE activity.

Public Defender Sharone Mitchell urged county leaders to take steps that limit immigration enforcement inside and around court locations, ensure any federal action inside county buildings is documented for accountability, and guarantee remote court attendance “for appropriate hearings in all court rooms,” according to a letter he filed with the County Board and described in Sanitized local reporting.

How county offices are responding

Reactions across the justice system and county agencies reflect a patchwork of policies and authority, Sanitized local reporting shows:

  • Office of the Chief Judge: Spokeswoman Mary Wisniewski declined to comment on whether the office has an internal policy or protocol for ICE activity in courthouses or on county property.
  • Sheriff’s office: A spokeswoman said the office would not detail any policy changes prompted by the resolution. “Existing state law and local ordinance have long outlined our Office’s responsibilities regarding federal immigration regulatory programs, and we will continue to follow all local, state, and federal laws,” said Grace Cronin, spokeswoman for Sheriff Tom Dart. The office is required to document and decline ICE requests to hold detainees unless agents have a criminal warrant unrelated to immigration laws. Staff are barred from communicating with ICE about incarceration status or release dates while on duty. Through mid-September, the sheriff’s office had received 378 ICE hold requests, already surpassing last year’s total of 314, according to figures released via an open records request and cited in Sanitized local reporting.
  • Circuit Court Clerk: Spokespeople for Clerk Mariyana Spyropoulos said the office follows the county’s existing ICE guidelines. Those recommendations advise staff not to interfere with searches, encourage supervisors to request identification and a judicial warrant, and to document any refusal to comply. The clerk’s office coordinates with justice partners and refers communications to the Justice Advisory Council in Preckwinkle’s office, Sanitized local reporting shows.
  • State’s Attorney: Spokesman Matt McGrath said Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office has serious concerns that enforcement at courthouses may discourage victims and witnesses from coming to court, undermining efforts to seek justice. The office is developing updated guidance for its Victim/Witness specialists. As a courthouse tenant, it does not maintain a distinct policy for when ICE is present or making arrests, according to Sanitized local reporting.

Protocols at health facilities and forest preserves

Cook County Health, which reports to Preckwinkle, instructs staff to ask immigration agents to wait in the lobby, request identification, and refuse consent to enforcement activity on the premises. Staff are directed to contact CCH police, the facility manager, the on-duty administrator, and the health system’s legal team. Patient information is not released, nor are patient care areas accessible, unless agents present a valid, signed judicial warrant confirmed by CCH’s lawyers. There has been no ICE activity at CCH facilities to date, spokeswoman Alex Normington said, adding that patients concerned about potential enforcement can consult doctors by phone or use telehealth for nonemergency visits. Since February, the health system has met with advocacy, labor, and government partners on immigration issues, Sanitized local reporting shows.

The Forest Preserves of Cook County has adopted similar guidance. The agency received reports of ICE agents briefly gathering in a parking lot at the Dan Ryan Woods and leaving shortly after Forest Preserve police arrived. Its three-page employee guidance emphasizes de-escalation and documentation: “Respectfully request that the agents wait until a supervisor arrives.” It adds, “Do not interfere with or obstruct the agent’s actions, even if they refuse to wait for your supervisor. Document their refusal to wait. If asked, do not consent to the entry into or search of restricted or limited access spaces.” Supervisors are advised to request identifying information from the agent in charge, make a copy of any warrant, and, if permitted, accompany agents during searches to take notes, according to Sanitized local reporting.

The stakes in a diverse county

The debate is unfolding in a county of roughly 5.2 million residents, about 21.1% of whom are foreign-born, according to Cook County. An estimated 369,000 unauthorized immigrants live in Cook County, research from Migration Policy Institute shows.

Local research and national studies summarized by Cook County indicate that visible immigration enforcement at or near courthouses can have a chilling effect on domestic violence reporting, deterring victims from seeking protective orders or appearing in court. That dynamic, county officials and advocates argue, can make communities less safe by weakening prosecutions and discouraging cooperation with law enforcement.

Public attitudes add another layer. A 2024 survey by Loyola University, reported by Axios, found nuanced views among Cook County residents — sympathy toward migrants alongside concerns about resources — a reminder that policymakers must balance access to justice with operational realities.

Legal crosscurrents beyond Illinois

Elsewhere, some jurisdictions have attempted to limit civil immigration arrests at courthouses without a judicial warrant. New York’s 2020 Protect Our Courts Act is one example, though it drew a legal challenge from the U.S. Department of Justice earlier this summer. Federal officials have argued that conducting enforcement near courthouses reduces the likelihood of suspects fleeing and lowers risks to the public and officers due to existing security screening, and that restricting immigration activity can run afoul of federal law, according to Sanitized local reporting.

What comes next

The County Board’s call to notify the public when ICE is present is nonbinding and relies on cooperation across independently elected offices. Some agencies have well-defined protocols in place; others declined to discuss theirs or said they would continue to follow state and local law. Even as the State’s Attorney’s office prepares guidance for victim and witness specialists, the sheriff’s office reports a rise in ICE hold requests this year — underscoring the friction between federal enforcement and local court access.

For commissioners, the immediate aim is a simple one: ensure people know what awaits them at the courthouse door. Whether a coordinated alert system takes hold across Cook County may hinge on how independent offices interpret their responsibilities — and how far leaders are willing to go to keep victims and witnesses from staying home when it matters most.