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GLT stories about immigrants living in Bloomington-Normal.

Social Justice Groups Want Rauner To Sign Immigrant-Friendly 'Trust Act'

A coalition of Bloomington-Normal social justice groups is organizing a phone campaign to urge Gov. Bruce Rauner to sign a bill that would prevent local and state police from stopping, searching or arresting residents based on their immigration or citizenship status.

The state legislature passed the so-called Trust Act in May, and the governor has until next Tuesday to sign the bill into law, veto it or take no action, which would effectively make the measure law.

Don Carlson of Illinois People's Action said his organization and several other groups made more than 340 calls on Tuesday urging local residents to contact the governor's office in support of the measure.

"Out of those calls I think we only had two people who didn't think it was a good idea," Carlson said.

The legislation also prohibits local law enforcement from detaining people for pickup by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency without court-issued warrants.

Carlson said such measures by local law enforcement tear immigrant families apart.

"People get essentially kind of disappeared, which happened to about 50 families in McLean County in the last few years," Carlson said.

Joining Illinois People's Action in the effort are the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, McLean County League of Women’s Voters, Not In Our Town, YWCA McLean County, The Immigration Project, and Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal.

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