Illinois Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill authorizing non-citizens to become police officers in his state, effective immediately according to the Governor’s office. The bill, signed alongside more than 130 other bills on Friday, was met with immediate criticism based on the “fundamentally bad idea” of allowing undocumented immigrants to arrest legal citizens.
With the passing of Illinois House Bill 3751, proof of citizenship will no longer be required to become a police officer or sheriff’s deputy in the state. Instead, law enforcement positions will be open to anyone legally eligible to work and carry a firearm under federal law. “…an individual who is not a citizen but is legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law is authorized to apply for the position of police officer, subject to all requirements and limitations, other than citizenship, to which other applicants are subject,” the bill reads.
Those in the United States under the coverage of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Act are now also eligible to apply for law enforcement jobs. While the bill is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2024, Pritzker’s office says that it is in effect as of the signing on Friday.
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Criticism of HB 3751 has been ongoing, even from before it was signed. The legislation first passed the State Senate in May with a vote of 37-20, at which point Republican State Senator Chapin Rose slammed it as “a fundamentally bad idea.”
“I don’t care where this individual is from—Australia. They should not be able to arrest a United States citizen on United States soil,” he said at the time.
Similar criticism was heard at the federal level following the signing. Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert said that “”people who are breaking the law by their presence here can now arrest American citizens. You know the other blue states are watching and getting ready to implement this idea as soon as they can!”
In the state of Illinois, illegals can now become police officers.
Yes, you heard that right.
People who are breaking the law by their presence here can now arrest American citizens.
You know the other blue states are watching and getting ready to implement this idea as soon…
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) July 30, 2023
Illinois Republican Representative Mary Miller said that “no sane state would allow foreign nationals to arrest their citizens, this is madness!”
At 5pm yesterday, when no one was paying attention, Pritzker signed a bill to allow illegal immigrants to become police officers, giving non-citizens the power to arrest citizens in our state. No sane state would allow foreign nationals to arrest their citizens, this is madness!
— Rep. Mary Miller (@RepMaryMiller) July 29, 2023
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) released a statement saying that while the organization supports applications from immigrants who obtain their citizenship, non-citizens should remain ineligible. “What message does this legislation send when it allows people who do not have legal status to become the enforcers of our laws?” an FOP statement said in part. “This is a potential crisis of confidence in law enforcement at a time when our officers need all the public confidence they can get.”
In the wake of the criticism, Pritzker fired back this week, accusing his detractors of deliberately misinterpreting HB 3751. “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.”
This latest bill comes amid an ongoing staffing crisis for Illinois police departments, with historically low recruitment leading to a lowering in hiring standards early last year.
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