SPRINGFIELD – In the face of constant raids from federal agents on Latino individuals in Chicagoland, State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes voted to pass legislation that establishes that certain areas, like daycares, hospitals, courthouses, and more, cannot be subject to unregulated federal agent intervention, allowing residents to patronize these essential locations without fear.

“People who look like me don’t feel safe picking their children up from school or going to the doctor because they could be targeted by federal agents, whether they are a citizen or not,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This is deeply concerning and inhumane treatment of people under the guise of law and order. It is chaos and fear, and I am grateful we are taking action to make people feel safer when they need to visit sensitive locations.” 

House Bill 1312 would allow Illinois residents to bring civil actions against any person who deprives them of their constitutional rights under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution, or Section 2 or Section 6 of Article 1 of the Illinois Constitution.

The bill would establish enhanced punitive damages for particularly egregious conduct, such as concealing identity with masks, failing to identify as law enforcement, not using body cameras, or deploying crowd-control weapons. It also would strengthen the Illinois Whistleblower Act to protect those who report violations and creates a 1,000-foot safe zone around courthouses with significant penalties for violations, including $10,000 in statutory damages.

The legislation would also require public colleges and universities to establish procedures for reviewing law enforcement access requests and would prohibit unauthorized disclosure of immigration status. Similarly, all Illinois hospitals would be required to develop comprehensive policies for law enforcement interactions by early 2026, with $500 daily penalties for noncompliance. Licensed daycare centers would also be required to adopt policies for interacting with law enforcement, including parental notification and consent requirements before sharing children's information, while prohibiting disclosure of citizenship or immigration status unless legally required.

“Every day, I get messages of people afraid to leave their houses for fear they will be kidnapped,” said Cervantes. “My elderly mother, who is an American citizen, carries around her voter registration because she is scared ICE will profile her for speaking in broken English. We need to do all that we can to protect our community members and bring back a semblance of safety. This legislation is a good place to start.”

House Bill 1312 passed the Senate on Thursday.