**Will County Executive Issues Executive Order Limiting Federal Immigration Enforcement on County Property**
Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant on Friday issued an executive order prohibiting the use of county-owned property as staging areas or operations bases for federal immigration enforcement. The order aims to clarify the county government’s response to increasing federal immigration activities.
“I am deeply concerned about reports I am receiving about federal immigration activity occurring locally and tactics causing fear throughout the community,” Bertino-Tarrant said in a statement. “All people should be safe in their neighborhoods and supported in their community.”
Under the executive order, county-owned properties controlled by the executive’s office are barred from serving as staging areas for federal immigration operations such as assembling, mobilizing, or deploying vehicles. This includes buildings, parking lots, vacant lots, and garages under the executive’s jurisdiction.
Some of the county buildings affected by the order include the county office building in Joliet, the health department, animal protection services, the Sunny Hill Nursing Home, and the Children’s Advocacy Center, among others, according to Mike Theodore, spokesman for the executive’s office.
The executive order does not apply to the Will County Courthouse, which falls under the jurisdiction of Chief Judge Daniel Kennedy. Additionally, the order does not extend to buildings leased by the county.
Federal agents must present a warrant before conducting any immigration enforcement operations on county-owned properties controlled by the executive’s office. Agents are also required to remove face coverings and maintain continuous visibility of their badges during such operations.
The order reflects concerns expressed by Will County residents regarding the scale and methods of federal immigration enforcement. These concerns include alleged due process violations and reports of citizens and legal residents being detained without charges, leading to increased fear of harassment within the community.
To support residents worried about their legal rights related to federal immigration enforcement, Bertino-Tarrant announced a partnership with the Illinois Commission for Immigrant & Refugee Rights. County staff are directing residents to the commission’s hotline at 855-435-7693 for assistance.
This executive order follows a proposed resolution by the County Board’s Legislative Committee just over a week ago. The resolution sought to urge state and federal governments to prohibit immigration enforcement in courthouses, schools, and other sensitive community spaces. While the resolution passed along party lines in the Legislative Committee, it did not advance to the full County Board after members of the Executive Committee called for further revisions.
Republicans on both committees questioned the resolution’s language accuracy and argued that immigration enforcement falls outside the county’s authority.
Legislative Committee Chair Destinee Ortiz, a Romeoville Democrat, emphasized that the resolution’s intent was to ensure residents can live and work without fear. Speaking at Thursday’s County Board meeting, Ortiz noted the need for action: “The black and brown residents of this county are watching. They are asking for us to do more and be more than just commentators. They are asking for us to lead, to take real action to protect them from the abuses of this administration. As leaders of this county, I hope we can actually do something.”
Ortiz celebrated Bertino-Tarrant’s executive order on social media Friday, writing, “This means our county facilities where our families pay taxes, seek services, and go to work are now safe spaces. This happened because we raised our voices. Because we organized. Because we refused to stay silent while our neighbors were under attack.”
*Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.*
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/18/will-county-immigration-enforcement-ban/
