Local Cops Flout Sanctuary Law to Help ICE Deport Immigrants
Illinois law prohibits local collaboration with immigration enforcement officials, but the cops often find workarounds. The post Local Cops Flout Sanctuary Law to Help ICE Deport Immigrants appeared first on The Intercept .
On a chilly April evening in 2025, Illinois state police officer Brad Herzog pulled over a 31-year-old man named Daniel Torrez Perez for speeding on a rural road near Springfield. While checking Torrez's identity through his police laptop, Herzog's search flagged an active ICE warrant for deportation. As local law enforcement in Illinois is prohibited from aiding federal immigration agents under the TRUST Act, Herzog faced a dilemma.
The FBI agent on the other line, Jack Griffin, stepped in. He explained that the warrant only covered the immigration warrant and not the state DUI charge Torrez had accumulated. Herzog could arrest the immigrant on the state warrant and hold him overnight in the local jail. Grateful for the solution, Herzog agreed and booked Torrez into custody, ensuring he wouldn't be released that night.
This decision, while seemingly insignificant, contributed to a larger pattern of Illinois law enforcement cooperating with federal immigration authorities despite state laws forbidding such practices.
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