It’s official: no immigration enforcement in Cook County
As the Daily Southtown reports (under the headline “Immigrant-friendly county proposal approved”),
A month after rejecting an identical proposal, the Cook County Board today voted to forbid county police or health workers from asking about a person’s immigration status.
“This resolution simply calls for employees not to discriminate,” said Commissioner Roberto Maldonado (D-Chicago), who has pushed the bill for years. “We can legislate behavior.”
The bill - similar to one that passed the Chicago City Council last year - prohibits county sheriff’s police and other officials from investigating anyone’s immigration status unless it is connected to other criminal wrongdoing. County services cannot be withheld based on immigration status.
The measure, which failed on a tie vote last month, won passage on a 7-to-6 vote when Commissioner Robert Steele (D-Chicago) switched his vote and with the absence of Commissioner Elizabeth Gorman (R-Orland Park).
Steele said he changed his mind after considering that his ancestors were immigrants from Africa and Haiti. Republican Tony Peraica supported the measure last time but abstained Tuesday.
Commissioner Gregg Goslin (R-Glenview) switched his vote to “yes” after the measure passed. The move gives Goslin the right to bring up the issue for reconsideration at the next meeting, when Gorman is present.
Goslin thinks the measure will encourage illegal immigrants to flood county health facilities.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do, I wanted to keep the options open,” Goslin said. “The county health bureau is on its last gasp. This will put it out of business.”
Sadly, Mr. Goslin’s comment is true. And on a wider scale than he can imagine. If enough counties like Cook vote to invite in swarms of aliens, our beloved country will soon be “out of business,” too.