Law Enforcement and Immigration
Law Enforcement Guidance & Reporting on Compliance with the Illinois TRUST Act and VOICES Act
The Way Forward Act, which became law in Illinois in August 2021, amended two existing state laws to add additional requirements and protections for immigrant communities: the Illinois TRUST Act and the Voices of Immigrant Communities Empowering Survivors (“VOICES”) Act. The TRUST Act generally prohibits local law enforcement in Illinois from participating in immigration enforcement. The VOICES Act provides procedural protections for immigrants victimized by violent crime or human trafficking who have assisted law enforcement in investigating or prosecuting certain types of crimes.
The Attorney General’s office has issued updated guidance to law enforcement agencies to provide an overview of Illinois laws that govern law enforcement interactions with immigrant communities, including the TRUST Act and the VOICES Act. The guidance clarifies the restrictions on participation in immigration enforcement by state and local law enforcement in Illinois and reminds law enforcement of certain legal obligations to assist foreign nationals and immigrant victims of crimes.
Under the amended laws, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in Illinois must also submit annual reports to the Attorney General’s Office regarding their compliance with the TRUST Act and the VOICES Act.
The Attorney General’s Office has collected summary statistics for calendar year 2022 based on a preliminary analysis of the data provided by law enforcement agencies to date. The report includes a list of non-reporting law enforcement agencies for 2022 as of March 1, 2024:
Law enforcement agencies must collect required information on a calendar year basis and submit it annually by March 1 of each year for information covering the preceding calendar year. For example, information regarding calendar year 2024 (January 1 through December 31) must be reported by March 1, 2025.
Law enforcement agencies should use the links below to download the updated guidance, instructions on reporting to the Attorney General’s office, and the template spreadsheet for submitting reports.
Questions regarding the annual reporting requirements may be directed to LEA.Reports@ilag.gov by using the subject line: “Question About Reporting.”