101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5559

 

Introduced , by Rep. Allen Skillicorn

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act. Provides that any individual, or, if the individual is deceased or permanently incapacitated, a spouse, parent, or child of the individual, who is the victim of a murder, rape, or any felony in the State, for which an alien who benefited from a sanctuary policy has been arrested, convicted, or sentenced to a term of imprisonment of at least one year, may bring a sanctuary-related civil action for compensatory damages against a sanctuary jurisdiction in the appropriate court if the sanctuary jurisdiction failed to comply with: (1) a request with respect to the alien that was lawfully made by the Department of Homeland Security; and (2) a detainer for or notify about the release of the alien. Provides that such a sanctuary-related civil action may not be brought later than 10 years after the occurrence of the crime or the death of a person as a result of the crime, whichever occurs later. Provides for the cooperation between federal and local law enforcement. Provides that nothing may be construed to provide immunity to any person who knowingly violates the civil or constitutional rights of an individual.


LRB101 20520 LNS 70123 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5559LRB101 20520 LNS 70123 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7    "Alien" has the meaning provided under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(3).
8    "Sanctuary jurisdiction" means any unit of local
9government or State agency that has in effect a statute,
10ordinance, policy, or practice that prohibits or restricts any
11government entity or official from:
12        (1) sending, receiving, maintaining, or exchanging
13    with any federal, State, or local governmental entity
14    information regarding the citizenship or immigration
15    status of any alien; or
16        (2) complying with a request lawfully made by the
17    Department of Homeland Security under 8 U.S.C. 1226 and
18    1357 to comply with a detainer for or notify about the
19    release of an alien.
20    "Sanctuary jurisdiction" does not include a unit of local
21government or State agency where the only basis for declaring
22it a sanctuary jurisdiction is that it has a policy whereby its
23officials will not share information regarding, or comply with

 

 

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1a request made by the Department of Homeland Security under 8
2U.S.C. 1226 and 1357, to comply with a detainer regarding an
3alien who comes forward as a victim or a witness to a criminal
4offense.
5    "Sanctuary policy" means a statute, ordinance, policy, or
6practice of a sanctuary city.
7    "Sanctuary-related civil action" means a civil action
8brought against a sanctuary jurisdiction by an individual, or
9the estate of or a survivor or heir of the individual, who:
10        (1) is injured or harmed by an alien who benefited from
11    a sanctuary policy of the sanctuary jurisdiction; and
12        (2) would not have been so injured or harmed but for
13    the alien receiving the benefit of the sanctuary policy.
 
14    Section 10. Sanctuary-related civil action.
15    (a) Any individual, or, if the individual is deceased or
16permanently incapacitated, a spouse, parent, or child of the
17individual, who is the victim of a murder, rape, or any felony
18in this State, for which an alien who benefited from a
19sanctuary policy has been arrested, convicted, or sentenced to
20a term of imprisonment of at least one year, may bring a
21sanctuary-related civil action for compensatory damages
22against a sanctuary jurisdiction in the appropriate court if
23the sanctuary jurisdiction failed to comply with:
24        (1) a request with respect to the alien that was
25    lawfully made by the Department of Homeland Security under

 

 

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1    8 U.S.C. 1226 and 1357; and
2        (2) a detainer for or notify about the release of the
3    alien.
4    (b) An action brought under this Section may not be brought
5later than 10 years after the occurrence of the crime or the
6death of a person as a result of the crime, whichever occurs
7later.
8    (c) In an action or proceeding under this Section, the
9court shall award reasonable attorney's fees and costs,
10including expert fees, to the prevailing plaintiff.
 
11    Section 15. Cooperation between federal and local law
12enforcement.
13    (a) A sanctuary jurisdiction, or an officer, employee, or
14agent of a sanctuary jurisdiction, that complies with a
15detainer issued by the Department of Homeland Security under 8
16U.S.C. 1226 and 1357, shall:
17        (1) be deemed to be acting as an agent of the
18    Department of Homeland Security; and
19        (2) comply with 8 U.S.C. 1357(d) and 8 CFR 287.5(d).
20    (b) Nothing in this Section may be construed to provide
21immunity to any person who knowingly violates the civil or
22constitutional rights of an individual.