A bill allowing eligible non-U.S. citizens in Illinois to become police officers was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker last Friday.
The rule only applies to those who are legally authorized to work in the United States and carry a firearm under federal law; Illinois becomes the third state in the United States to pass such a rule.
Republican opponents of the bill, including Illinois Rep. Mary Miller, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis all falsely tweeted that the new law would allow illegal immigrants to become police officers. The new law only applies to legal permanent residents and DACA recipients.
During debate in the General Assembly, the Chicago FOP Lodge #7 and the Illinois Municipal League announced support for the law, while the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association stated they were neutral. The Illinois FOP never announced a public position on the bill.
In a press conference Gov. JB Pritzker pointed out that the US military 35,000 non-citizen service members and enlists about 8,000 new non-citizen recruits every year.
