SPRINGFIELD – Amid the federal government’s rescission of a 2021 Department of Homeland Security policy memo that prohibited immigration enforcement in protected areas, a new law championed by State Senator Karina Villa will secure students’ safety in schools.
“In the face of threats from the federal administration, Illinois is standing firm in our values to protect immigrant families,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “We will not allow fear or hateful rhetoric to dictate the future of our children. Our schools must remain safe havens where every student – regardless of immigration status – can access the education they deserve and learn without fear.”
The new law prohibits schools from disclosing or threatening to disclose information about a student’s immigration status or the immigration status of a person associated with the child. The law also requires schools to develop procedures for reviewing and authorizing requests from law enforcement agents attempting to enter a school or school facility.
Additionally, the law ensures that children are not denied a free public K-12 education based on their or their parents’ perceived or actual immigration status, codifying the right to free public education for immigrant children.
“Immigration is a shared history for Illinoisans; when an administration attacks immigrants, they attack all of us,” said State Representative Lilian Jiménez (D-Chicago). “Our legislation is about ensuring that every child – regardless of their citizenship status – has equal access to a public education upon which they can pursue their dreams. Legal precedent for nearly the last 40 years has reaffirmed this. With a presidency bent on sending citizens to foreign prisons and noncitizens to homelands they barely remember, this, and many other, constitutional rights are under siege. We are in uncharted waters. Make no mistake about it; Illinois, and Springfield, will not stand idly by. We have the responsibility to protect every Illinoisan, and we will.”
House Bill 3247 was signed into law Friday and is effective Jan. 1, 2026.
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