A majority of the members sitting on the DuPage County Board have given their support for a “fair path to citizenship” resolution that comes amid ongoing concerns related to U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement raids and the broader issues around federal immigration policies.
Twelve of the county board’s 18 members supported the resolution, which County Board Chair Deborah Conroy presented to the elected body for approval at a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
What the ‘fair path to citizenship’ resolution says
There are a number of components to the county’s resolution, which follows actions taken in similar Chicago-area counties, including Cook, Lake, and Will. Conroy said her proposal was presented after legal vetting through the state’s attorney’s office.
“My intention is that whatever we put forward is enforceable,” Conroy said. “We need to do what we can actually do, to support our residents, and that’s the intention of this, and there will be more to come.”
The resolution formally puts the county on record in not supporting any ICE-related or federal immigration enforcement activities. The document also notes “DuPage upholds its right to declare specific county property private or for employee use only” in an attempt at creating an ICE-free zone.
Additionally, the resolution takes aim at lawmakers in Washington, D.C., on the immigration policy issues that have arisen and the ripple effects that have occurred locally as a result.
“Due to the failure to create reasonable and enforceable immigration procedures, officers with (ICE) have been sent to detain and arrest residents in certain areas of the county, causing fear among residents … impeding the ability of many of our local residents to conduct routine business, access jobs, schools, social, legal, and medical services,” one whereas clause reads.
Supporters weigh in on reasons for their “yes” votes
Prior to adopting the resolution, county board members had a wide-ranging discussion about the document. Some of the supporters shared how their local communities have been impacted by the recent federal enforcement acts.
Melissa Martinez, who at times in her commentary was emotional and moved to tears, described the resolution as “a work in progress” and “a start.” She expressed concern with the widespread affect of recent actions, including what she asserted were impacts to local immigrant-run businesses within the District 6 area she represents on the board.
“As the only Hispanic on this board, I feel the weight so heavily,” Martinez said. “I hear everything that’s happening, I appreciate the supporters, I appreciate everybody that’s here. Let’s not get distracted.”
Other elected officials, including District 3 board member Lucy Chang Evans, criticized the actions ICE agents have been taken.
“As a former federal law enforcement officer, I spent months learning about Constitutional law, and due process, to legally carry out my law enforcement duties,” Chang Evans said. “It is truly disturbing, to me, of the tactics and lack of due process of these ICE arrests.”
Using her own family history as a backdrop, District 4 board member Mary Fitzgerald Ozog said the majority of today’s immigrants, just as in the past, are in the U.S. in search of economic opportunity. Ozog noted her parents came to the U.S. from Ireland.
“The vast number of people who are in this country — now, 150 years ago, 200 years ago — are here because of economic opportunity,” Ozog said. “They are trying to make a better life.”
Opponents said resolution oversteps county’s purview
While there was widespread recognition throughout the county board’s debate that U.S. immigration policy is in need of an overhaul, dissenters of the resolution itself questioned its enforceability and said it oversteps the purview of local county-level government.
“It’s sad that we have to waste our time today on this resolution, which has no bearing to change anything or make any difference in the everyday lives of our residents,” District 6 board member James Zay said. “This is political theater, and following the political rhetoric of the City of Chicago, Cook, Lake and Will counties, and a governor who’s running for two political offices at the same time.”
District 3 board member Kari Galassi noted the elected body has not weighed in on previous federal-related matters and questioned why this resolution was being presented.
“It’s not an ordinance, a law, or a statute, and therefore has no binding authority,” Galassi said. “Local governments have no role in federal matters, such as immigration policy, just as we do not weigh in on tariffs, wars in Gaza, or Ukraine, or national debates over gender in sports. We should not use county time and resources to make symbolic statements on federal issues.”
District 4 board member Grant Eckhoff commented on some of the myriad of issues that led to the recent ICE enforcement activity. He pointed to the numbers of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally and specific crimes within the group as a basis for some of the enforcement currently taking place.
“This situation didn’t happen in a vacuum, and I think, when you have a resolution like this, you have to acknowledge both sides of the coin,” Eckhoff said.
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