Crime & Law
Four Illinois Sheriff’s Offices Ignored Sanctuary Laws by Transferring People Into Federal Custody, AG Report Finds
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Four Illinois sheriff’s offices defied the state’s sanctuary laws and transferred individuals into Department of Homeland Security custody in 2024, according to a new report.
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office released its Way Forward Act Annual Compliance Report for 2024 on Dec. 23, which compiles self-reported data from state agencies on their compliance with Illinois’ sanctuary laws, like the Illinois TRUST Act and the Illinois Way Forward Act.
The acts, in part, prohibit local and state law enforcement agencies in Illinois from complying with immigration detainers or civil immigration warrants. It also prohibits law enforcement agencies from transferring any person into an immigration agent’s custody unless presented with a federal criminal warrant or otherwise required by federal law. Doing so could expose agencies to civil liability.
Despite that, in 2024, after receiving civil detainers or warrants, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office reported transferring 18 individuals into Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations custody; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported three; the Kane County Sheriff’s Office reported two; and the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reported one.
Illinois’ sanctuary law originally went into effect seven years ago when the Illinois TRUST Act was signed in 2017 by then Gov. Bruce Rauner, and its amendment, the Illinois Way Forward Act, was signed in 2021 by Gov. JB Pritzker.
The Attorney General’s Office did not respond to questions from WTTW News asking if it sought legal repercussions for those counties that did fulfill immigrant detainers and warrants and transferred individuals into DHS custody.
Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said that if they received a warrant issued by a judge, they will comply with it. The TRUST Act does state that a law enforcement agency may transfer an individual into an immigration agent’s custody if presented with a federal criminal warrant.
However, according to the self-reported data to the Attorney General’s Office, the Kane County Sheriff fulfilled either an immigration detainer or civil immigrant warrant — which are signed by immigration officers, not judges. Hain was not immediately aware of the details of the two instances cited in the report.
The Madison, Jefferson and Grundy county sheriff’s offices did not respond to requests for comment from WTTW News.
According to the report, the Attorney General’s Office did open an investigation into Madison County’s compliance with the TRUST Act and received confirmation that it has not transferred any individuals into Department of Homeland Security Custody on the basis of a civil immigration detainer or warrant since Nov. 15, 2024.
The most recent transfer noted in the report was from the Kane County Sheriff’s office, which transferred an individual into ICE custody in January 2025, according to the report.
In 2024, 33 agencies reported receiving a total of 1,125 immigration detainers and civil immigration warrants — an increase from 27 agencies reporting receiving 523 detainers and warrants in 2023.
Not all agencies reported their data to the office: 824 of approximately 960 Illinois law enforcement agencies submitted a compliance report. Failing to submit a report or submitting an incomplete report is a violation of state law. The attorney general has statutory authority to conduct investigations and seek legal remedies for violations.
The Attorney General’s Office did not respond to questions from WTTW News asking if the office has conducted investigations or sought legal remedy for the law enforcement agencies that have not submitted compliance reports.
In 2024, 36 agencies reported that they received a request from federal immigration authorities related to participation, support or assistance in a civil enforcement. Most approved requests appeared to be Freedom of Information Act requests, according to the report, which is not prohibited under the TRUST Act.
The Attorney General’s Office did not respond to questions from WTTW News asking what were the approved requests that were not FOIA requests, and what law enforcement agencies those requests were made to.
The report also monitors compliance of the Voices of Immigrant Communities Empowering Survivors Act by tracking U- or T-visa certification, which provide temporary legal status to victims of serious crimes.
In 2024, Illinois law enforcement agencies reported receiving 5,484 certification requests, responded to 99% of the requests and granted 84.7% of them, according to the report.
Over the past year, WTTW News has received little clarity on its investigations into possible compliance issues of the state’s sanctuary laws raised to the Attorney General’s Office, which oversees enforcement.
In October, WTTW News reported that at least 17 sheriff’s offices across Illinois were found to have contracts on the books to detain people on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The AG’s office responded a week after publication without addressing if they found it to be a violation, instead stating in part that: “Some perceived violations of the act may not be violations in fact. We have successfully worked to resolve inadvertent, self-reported violations amicably in lieu of unnecessarily engaging in an adversarial process with law enforcement partners.”
In August, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office transferred at least two men into ICE custody. The office did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
In June, ICE had access to data that the Illinois State Police keeps on suspected gang members. After WTTW News provided the data sharing agreements between the state and DHS to the office, they did not respond to a request for comment.
The Attorney General’s Office did not respond to recent updated requests for comment on these findings.
Note: This story was updated to include comment from Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain.
Contact Blair Paddock: @blairpaddock.bsky.social | [email protected]
