EUREKA, Ill. – The Woodford County Board, on its second try, has approved its non-sanctuary status.
The resolution to affirm the status was approved by a voice vote at Tuesday night’s meeting. It was previously tabled in April and sent back to the Public Safety committee, before returning for a vote.
District 2 member Zach Ferris says he brought the resolution forward over concerns about migrants being sent to Chicago being diverted downstate, after conversations with state lawmakers.
“This resolution right here is a message to the state that says if you want to drop illegal immigrants into this county through buses, we are a non-sanctuary county, we do not have the resources to help these individuals out,” Ferris said.
Ferris says it was a statement that had to be reiterated to the state, saying the county does not have what it takes to care for migrants, and to place them elsewhere. He says the resolution is for those in the country illegally, and not for legal immigrants in Woodford County.
A second attempt to postpone the vote and send it back to committee was voted down. The attempt was raised over concerns the language in the resolution was not reviewed by the State’s Attorney. Ferris told the board the language was very similar to resolutions passed in 12 other counties in Illinois.
Public comment before the vote took more than an hour, with numerous people speaking out for and against the resolution. Shannon Roekey of Congerville spoke in favor, saying Woodford County should not be a place where declared sanctuary cities can send overflowing migrants.
“It’s a mess, so why would they not want to ship them somewhere else?” Roekey said. “And I think it’s okay for someone like Woodford County, that’s a conservative county, to say ‘not here’.”
Others in favor of the resolution echoed what Ferris stated about Woodford County not having enough resources to support arriving migrants. People who spoke out against the resolution raised concerns about it leading to stereotyping and racial profiling of migrants.
The resolution was amended before the vote to approve, with some language being changed, including one that dropped references to migrants posing public health and safety risks to the community.
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