ICE hiring ban bill reignites SAFE-T Act fight at Illinois Capitol
[January 17, 2026]
By Catrina Baker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – A newly introduced bill that would bar former
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from working in state and
local law enforcement in Illinois is sparking intense debate, with
supporters calling it a necessary accountability measure and critics
warning it could worsen police shortages and undermine public safety.
State Sen. Laura Fine, D-Glenview, who is also running for Congress,
announced the legislation in a social media video this week, saying it
was prompted by recent immigration enforcement actions she described as
violent and intimidating.
“I’m headed to Springfield, and I am going to talk to my colleagues
about my new legislation that bars ICE agents from working for law
enforcement at both the local and state level here in Illinois,” Fine
said. “After what happened in Minneapolis, it was a glass break moment.
Enough is enough.”
But Rep. John Cabello, R–Rockford, a law enforcement officer, said he
strongly opposes the proposal and does not believe it is necessary or
constitutional.
“I don’t believe the bill is needed in any way, shape, or form, and I
will not be supporting it,” Cabello told TCS. “Normally, local officers
go to the feds. It’s usually not the other way around.”
Cabello said former federal officers typically only enter local policing
roles after retirement.
“Not one more child should have to live without their parent,” Fine
said. “The violence and intimidation has to stop. This legislation will
hold agents accountable.”
Cabello questioned whether the bill’s sponsor could produce evidence
showing that former ICE agents working in Illinois law enforcement pose
a public safety risk.
“I have no idea what she can present,” he said.
Cabello also linked the proposal to broader Democratic-backed criminal
justice reforms, particularly Illinois’ SAFE-T Act, which he said has
already harmed law enforcement operations.
“When the Democrats passed the Safety Act, they decimated law
enforcement,” Cabello said. “Now they’re saying they don’t even want
former ICE agents working for any law enforcement in the state of
Illinois. You’re just continually attacking law enforcement.”
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Members of Illinois State Police and local law enforcement outside
the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Facility in Broadview,
Illinois. Photo: Jim Talamonti / The Center Square
Cabello said he has worked on legislative proposals aimed at
revising the SAFE-T Act through a working group, but those efforts
have stalled.
“We had a working group, the TIPS Working Group,” he said. “We put
bills together that would make the SAFE-T Act better, and I’ve
handed all of them to [state Rep.] Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago.
We’ve heard zero, zilch.”
The ICE-related bill could also face procedural hurdles if it is
determined to preempt home rule authority, which would require a
three-fifths supermajority vote in the General Assembly.
“If it preempts home rule, they’ll need 71 votes,” Cabello said.
“Every single Democrat is going to have to vote yes.”
He also questioned Fine’s motives, pointing to her congressional
campaign.
Cabello criticized the bill’s scope, noting it applies broadly to
former ICE agents regardless of whether they have any documented
disciplinary history.
“Smoke and mirrors,” Cabello said. “She’s running for Congress.”
“This legislation will make sure the Trump administration can no
longer use its rhetoric and its violence here in the state of
Illinois,” Fine said, adding that she plans to pursue similar
accountability measures if elected to Congress.
The legislation has been filed but has not yet been scheduled for a
committee hearing.
Currently, Illinois law allows non-citizens to work as police
officers as long as they are in the country legally and can obtain a
federal carry permit.
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