The Lake Bluff village board could vote later this month on policies outlining how the village will respond to actions by the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within its boundaries.

At a Nov. 10 Committee of the Whole meeting, trustees reviewed a draft ordinance addressing the village’s interactions with ICE amid concerns tied to the federal government’s Operation Midway Blitz.

“We are also projecting a message of respect and dignity for people,” Village President Regis Charlot said.

Charlot initiated the push for policy changes after raising concerns at the board’s Oct. 27 meeting about immigration enforcement activities occurring in nearby communities.

Trustee Susan Rider agreed on Nov. 10. “Those videos we are seeing from other communities are chilling,” she said.

Under the proposed ordinance, immigration officials would be prohibited from using village-owned property, such as parking lots or garages, as staging areas, processing locations, or operational bases for civil immigration enforcement.

“We believe the village can prohibit them from utilizing village property for staging areas, processing centers, or an operations base because that would violate the anti-commandeering doctrine of the 10th Amendment,” Village Attorney Peter Friedman said after the meeting.

Friedman told the board the village must comply with both the Illinois Trust Act, enacted in 2017 to bar local law enforcement from participating in civil immigration enforcement, and the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prevents the federal government from requiring state or local governments to allocate resources to federal operations.

Trustees also discussed additional provisions that may be included in the final ordinance. These could extend the requirements of the Illinois Trust Act to all village employees, ensure no village resources are used for federal civil immigration enforcement efforts, and require reporting ICE activity to the Illinois Accountability Board.

Despite these proposed restrictions, Friedman emphasized that the village cannot stop ICE officers from operating in Lake Bluff. “Local governments don’t have the right to prevent the federal government — including ICE — from operating on the streets or sidewalks,” he said.

Charlot acknowledged those limitations, noting he did not want residents to believe the ordinance would offer complete protection from federal operations. “I don’t think we are going to change the world,” he said.

Police Chief Matt Smizinski said he was not aware of any recent ICE activity in the village.

Only one resident, Peter White, addressed the board on the topic. White said he supported adopting an ordinance but preferred something “simple and straightforward.”

“This is not a social issue,” White added. “I think it is a political statement that is being attempted to be made.”

Village Administrator Drew Irvin said it was possible the ordinance would appear on the agenda for the Nov. 24 board meeting.

Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/18/lake-bluff-village-board-ice-cbp/