"The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender applauds Chief Judge Tim Evans for his general administrative order banning civil arrests in and around courthouses in Cook County.
The new order, which goes into effect today, ensures that everyone who needs to use our courts or is required to appear for a hearing can do so without fear of civil arrest. It represents an essential step in ending federal immigration agents’ warrantless seizures of people at Cook County courthouses in recent months and protecting the integrity of the Illinois judicial system.
Two weeks ago, the public defender's office, along with the MacArthur Justice Center and 13 community organizations dedicated to protecting domestic violence survivors and providing civil legal services, called on the Chief Judge to ban these arrests.
This order was urgently needed to ensure that public trust in our courts is maintained and to allow the courts to remain open and accessible to all members of the public, regardless of immigration status. No longer will federal immigration agents be permitted to use our court system as a way to target people who are complying with court orders or supporting loved ones.
We commend Judge Evans for his leadership, and we now call on the Illinois General Assembly to ban warrantless civil arrests of court users statewide by codifying this common law privilege into state law."