Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, has recently signed into law a bill that has sparked controversy among conservatives. The new law allows non-U.S. citizens to serve as police officers in the state, a move that has been met with strong opposition.
The Illinois House Bill 3751, signed by Governor Pritzker on Friday, will take effect on January 1, 2024. This bill removes the previous requirement for U.S. citizenship as a qualification to become a police officer in the state.
It now allows individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States, even if they are not citizens, to apply for the position of a police officer.
However, applicants must meet all other requirements and limitations that other applicants face, with the exception of citizenship. They must also be able to legally obtain, carry, purchase, or possess a firearm under federal law.
Even immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Act are entitled to apply for law enforcement positions under this new law. The law was signed in spite of the fact that federal law currently prohibits non-U.S. citizens from serving as police officers and deputies.
The bill faced strong opposition from Republican lawmakers and prominent police groups. Illinois Representative Mary Miller, a Republican, expressed her outrage on Twitter over the weekend, claiming “no sane state would allow foreign nationals to arrest their citizens.”
Another Republican, Representative Lauren Boebert from Colorado, also took to Twitter to condemn the bill. She pointed out that individuals who are present in the country illegally can now arrest American citizens in Illinois, and she expressed concern that other blue states might adopt similar measures.
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) also expressed its opposition to the legislation, questioning the message it sends when non-U.S. citizens can become enforcers of U.S. laws.
“What message does this legislation send when it allows people who do not have legal status to become the enforcers of our laws?” the group told ABC20. “This is a potential crisis of confidence in law enforcement at a time when our officers need all the public confidence they can get.”
The bill’s sponsor, Democratic Representative Barbara Hernandez, defended it as a “natural progression” following the 2021 federal decision to allow some undocumented immigrants to work in healthcare and the military.
Governor Pritzker defended the bill in a press conference, asserting that it would only apply to individuals who are legally allowed to work in the United States and are legally allowed to possess firearms.
He criticized the way the bill’s critics interpreted its language and expressed frustration with what he described as right-wing misinformation.
“I am tired of the right-wing twisting things,” he said. “They put it on Facebook, they tell lies. There are people out there that think we’re just allowing anybody to become a police officer. That’s just not accurate,” he said.
The passing of this bill comes amid statewide police shortages in Illinois, with the Chicago Police Department reaching its lowest number in March 2022. This situation has led to the loosening of recruitment requirements, including waiving the minimum 60 college credits for certain candidates and offering online testing opportunities.
It is a crazy cycle. Liberals went on an all out campaign to “defund the police” which drove a huge wave of retirement and career changes among law enforcement officers. Now crime is at an all time high and they are seeking bodies to fill the mass shortages.
This law will surely encounter legal proceedings as it is a slap in the face of already existing federal laws. Time will tell how this all plays out.
