At Monday’s Waukegan City Council meeting, Resolution 25-R-281 was passed by the members and signed into law by Mayor Sam Cunningham.
The resolution prohibits federal agents including Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using city property. The measure passed unanimously with all of the aldermen present and voting.
Mayor Sam Cunningham said in an announcement, “This is not about politics. It is about people. It is about ensuring that every person who calls Waukegan home can walk into city hall, the police station, the library, and other municipal buildings without fear.”
The resolution is effective immediately.
Beginning in September, the Trump administration through the US Department of Homeland Security, has dramatically increased federal activity. Agents are outfitted with military weapons, camouflage gear, face coverings and armored vehicles. The agents employ tactics such as vehicle ramming, launching tear gas canisters and firing pepper balls.
Critics assert the Trump administration is selectively using federal agents in Democratic leaning areas such as Lake County, Chicago and Los Angeles. Experienced CBP officers state the methodology being employed is inconsistent with routine immigration law enforcement. The tactics being used are designed to intimidate and provoke a response.
Since the stepped up enforcement activity, area businesses have seen a precipitous drop in revenue. People are afraid to leave their homes and students are afraid to attend school.