Oak Park has joined a growing list of suburbs that are following the lead of the city of Chicago in passing ordinances that have declared their towns to be ICE free zones.
An ordinance unanimously approved by the Oak Park Village Board on Nov. 4 prohibits anyone from using village owned or controlled property for federal immigration enforcement activities, including as a staging area, processing location or operations base.
“The ordinance flows from the village’s authority to define allowable uses of its property and to not permit commandeering of the village property by other agencies for more than transitory uses,” said Oak Park village attorney Greg Smith. “In addition to use restrictions the ordinance authorizes the village manager to make physical improvements to village owned properties to implement the restrictions, to post related signage on those properties and to provide private property owners with signage at no cost delineating non-public areas of private property on which owners desire to restrict activities related to civil immigration enforcement.”
Smith said the ordinance would be enforced in the courts, often after the fact.
“The village would be able to file a suit in court and request a declaration that the violation occurred and that the court enter an appropriate penalty and that an injunction be entered preventing future violations,” Smith said.
The ordinance was initially proposed two weeks ago by village trustees Jenna Leving Jacobson and Derek Eder and quickly won support from the entire board.
Leving Jacobson said she and other members of the Village Board may propose other steps the village can take to deter federal agents in Oak Park.
“I’m happy to do this as a step,” Leving Jacobson said. “This is an all-consuming, seeming, crisis, and we’re going to keep bringing back more ideas and more asks.”
On Oct. 28 Oak Park Township adopted an almost identical ordinance prohibiting the use of township property for civil immigration enforcement activities. Last month Juan Munoz, an Oak Park Township trustee, was detained for hours during a protest at ICE’s Broadview facility. Jenning Leving Jacobson described the Broadview facility as a “concentration camp.”
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Village Board member Brian Straw, who was indicted last month along with five other people and charged with a federal crime for his actions during a protest at the Broadview ICE facility, said at the Village Board meeting he would like other units of local government in Oak Park to also take steps to deter ICE activity in Oak Park.
“I hope that we see similar measures adopted by the other governing bodies in Oak Park in the near future because I think doing this together is vitally important,” Straw said.
Village officials said perhaps the most effective thing they can do to deter the actions of ICE is to educate the community about their rights and the supports available to them.
“We’re ensuring that everyone in Oak Park has access to accurate information about advocacy organizations, legal service providers and wrap-around service providers as well as where we provide culturally responsive support,” said Kellye Keyes, Oak Park’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer.
Straw emphasized the need for residents to take action and to monitor the activities of federal immigration agents whenever they are in Oak Park. She suggested residents record ICE activity and alert their neighbors to their presence with whistles, some of which were available at the meeting after the Oak Park Public Library held an event to assemble what are called whistle kits.
“The work of our residents and local businesses have the most power to protect our immigrant neighbors in our community,” Straw said.
Village President Vicki Scaman emphasized looking out for workers and contractors working in Oak Park who might be targets of federal agents. She said residents should consider not having lawn care workers come to collect leaves and instead just pay their contractor and let the leaves decompose naturally.
“Just as in COVID I think this is a time where we need to protect our neighbors,” Scaman said.
The day after the meeting Scaman said the ordinance is more than just symbolic.
“I do believe it will make a difference,” Scaman said. “I do believe that, in cooperation with our staff and the advocacy of the trustees that are championing this moment we have an ordinance that is enforceable. If nothing else it spreads awareness as well.”
Bob Skolnik is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.