On Friday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed a bill that allows non-citizens to become police officers in the state.
Illinois H.B. 3751 will allow DACA recipients and permanent residents to become officers after completion of training, Democratic state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, who sponsored the legislation, said, according to Fox 32 Chicago. Reportedly, there are more than 30,000 DACA recipients living and working in Illinois.
“We have the ability for people who are legally here in this country, and permanent residents and DACA residents, to apply for jobs as police officers,” Pritzker said of the legislation.
“I am tired of the right wing twisting things,” he claimed. “They put it on Facebook, they tell lies. There are people out there that think we’re just allowing anybody to become a police officer. That’s just not accurate.”
Republican Rep. Mary Miller, who represents Illinois’ 15th congressional district, slammed the law on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Republican Rep. Mary Miller, who represents Illinois’ 15th congressional district, slammed the law on X.
“No sane state would allow foreign nationals to arrest their citizens, this is madness!” she wrote.
At 5pm yesterday, when no one was paying attention, Pritzker signed a bill to allow illegal immigrants to become police officers, giving non-citizens the power to arrest citizens in our state. No sane state would allow foreign nationals to arrest their citizens, this is madness!
— Rep. Mary Miller (@RepMaryMiller) July 29, 2023
In an interview with Fox 32, Chicago mayoral candidate Dr. Willie Wilson, a Democrat, spoke out against the legislation.
“I cannot go to China or any other country in the world being a non-citizen and become a police officer, and I think that’s wrong,” Wilson said.
Colorado GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert said: “People who are breaking the law by their presence here can now arrest American citizens.”
“We either address this border crisis or allow our country to descend further into a Leftist dystopia,” she added.
In the state of Illinois, illegals can now become police officers.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) July 30, 2023
Yes, you heard that right.
People who are breaking the law by their presence here can now arrest American citizens.
You know the other blue states are watching and getting ready to implement this idea as soon…
Previously, police officers in Chicago and statewide had been required by federal law to be U.S. citizens. Pritzker reportedly said that other left-wing states like California have similar laws on the books.