Preckwinkle calls on chief judge to ban ICE arrests at Cook County courthouses

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is urging Chief Judge Timothy Evans to ban civil arrests in and around courthouses and county buildings in response to a recent surge in immigration arrests across the area.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been increasingly present at Cook County courthouses under President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign this year, especially since his administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz” began in September targeting the Chicago area.

Preckwinkle has signed on with the Cook County Public Defender’s office and a coalition of legal aid groups in a petition asking Evans to prohibit federal law enforcement officers from making civil arrests at county courthouses without a judicial warrant.

“Deterring people from participating in the justice system undermines the courts’ ability to administer justice and keep communities safe,” Preckwinkle said in a statement. “We must do everything in our power to ensure our courts stand as institutions of justice where all residents can expect fair and just treatment that respects their rights.”

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, previously said the ability to make arrests at courthouses “preserves valuable law enforcement resources because they already know where a target will be,” adding that it is “safer for our officers and the community.”

At least three people have been detained by ICE in the last month while attempting to go to court hearings, according to the petition. It also said ICE agents have been spotted outside county courthouses.

“Our courthouses have historically been safe from civil warrant execution,” Preckwinkle said. “Yet, ICE has engaged in rogue enforcement activities and aggressive tactics which have violated these spaces and have impeded the functioning of the court system.”