A false report from a local conservative talk radio station prompted the McLean County sheriff to issue a statement Saturday about immigration enforcement as President Trump’s second term begins.
In a Facebook post early Saturday, Cities 92.9 reported that a McLean County Board member was claiming that “McLean County sheriff Matt Lane will not be assisting federal authorities with deportation initiatives.” Cities also reported that “Lane joins other local law enforcement like the DeKalb police department in not assisting the federal authorities.”
Both claims are false.
The error traces back to a Facebook post Friday from Democratic McLean County Board member Corey Beirne, also a teacher in Unit 5. He shared a conversation he had with Lane, who told him he would not assist federal authorities “in conducting raids on local schools.” Lane told him it was OK to share their conversation with the public.
“I appreciate the conversation and assurance and look forward to continuing to work with Sheriff Lane and his team of professionals as we navigate this new challenge,” Beirne wrote.
Then, early Saturday, Cities 92.9 shared Beirne’s post but misrepresented Lane’s remarks and apparently did not ask for clarification from the sheriff himself. Cities also did not speak with Beirne, according to Beirne.
The Cities post prompted the statement from Lane, a Republican, on Saturday.
“At no time have I, or anyone from my office, stated that we would refuse to assist Federal Agencies on operations involving criminal matters that threaten public safety. I am aware of Federal and State laws that will be driving the enforcement action from my office. Simply put, the McLean County Sheriff’s Office will be enforcing the law,” Lane said. “I would encourage and expect news outlets, or anyone seeking what my position is or isn’t on a particular subject, to go straight to the source and not draw their own conclusions.”
Beirne told WGLT on Saturday that Lane never told him he would “not be assisting federal authorities with deportation initiatives.” Their conversation largely centered around schools.
“My goal was to alleviate the concerns from colleagues, from families, from other likeminded folks about schools in particular,” Beirne said. “It was a very cordial conversation.”
Cities 92.9, he said, “has a long history of straight-up lies and misinformation.”
Trump has promised an aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration. His administration says it will no longer consider churches and schools off limits to agents tracking down and arresting migrants without legal status. In response, the State Board of Education is encouraging local school districts to adopt clear policies spelling out how and when their staff should cooperate with federal immigration officials carrying out enforcement actions or seeking information from school officials, Capitol News Illinois reported.
A state law known as the Illinois TRUST Act restricts the way law enforcement agencies and officials may participate in federal civil immigration matters. Generally, local police cannot provide assistance such as transferring someone into an immigration agent’s custody or coordinating an arrest in a courthouse or other public facility – unless they are presented with a federal criminal warrant or when they are otherwise required by a specific federal law. Only federal officers have the authority to arrest an individual for a violation of civil immigration law without a criminal warrant. That’s according to guidance from the Illinois attorney general.
