Waukegan’s City Council voted unanimously Oct. 27 to approve a resolution prohibiting the use of city-owned property for federal civil immigration enforcement and signed the document at the special meeting.

Supporters who addressed the council during a lengthy public comment period urged stronger, enforceable protections for immigrants. Luz Ortiz, executive director of Mano Mano Family Resource Center, described the group’s work responding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and said, “We are living in a historic moment that requires historic action.”

Council members moved the measure after about 40 minutes of public testimony. Alderman Felix moved the resolution and Alderman Guzman seconded it. The clerk recorded roll-call votes with Aldermen Guzman, Martinez, Felix, Newsom, Turner, Danaworth, Florian, Hayes and Bolton voting yes; the motion passed.

Residents who spoke called for steps beyond a symbolic statement. Rayan Edwards asked whether police would be prepared to arrest federal officers if they committed kidnapping or assault within city limits, saying, “Is our police department prepared to arrest them for kidnapping, for assault, for a battery?” Jim Domiano said he was prepared to risk arrest to protect people he described as targeted by enforcement actions.

Michelle Lopez, a Waukegan resident, urged clarity about the legal limits of a resolution and about other possible actions. “So what we’re talking about, what’s before the council tonight, a resolution. Let’s be clear. It’s a gesture, not a guarantee,” she said, and noted the Illinois Trust Act "limits police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement" but does not prevent other city employees from sharing information or granting access to city resources.

Margaret Carrasco described what she said were helicopter sweeps, targeted stops and hotels being used as holding locations for immigrants and asked police leadership to take action. Rob Salazar urged the creation of a police task force to document incidents with body-worn cameras and to file reports that could support later legal claims.

After the vote, the mayor and several elected officials joined community leaders and staff at the council table for a signing ceremony. Mayor Sam Cunningham said adopting the resolution “is not about politics. It’s about people,” and told the community, “Your local government has your back.”

The resolution, as adopted, restricts the use of municipal property for federal civil immigration-enforcement activities. The text of the adopted resolution, any implementing instructions to city departments and an effective date were not stated on the public record during the meeting.

Members of the public and several speakers pressed the council to consider further steps such as a local noncooperation ordinance or a mayoral executive order; speakers and council members noted limits to local authority and the need for clarity about enforcement and interagency cooperation.

The resolution’s passage follows days of organized community response in Waukegan, including volunteer rapid-response efforts and public protests. City officials did not cite a specific ordinance or statute as the legal basis for the resolution during the meeting; residents referenced the Illinois Trust Act in explaining limits on local-police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.