Public records obtained by America First Legal show Chicago-area officials released more than 400 illegal immigrants arrested on criminal charges in Cook County during 2025, despite federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers requesting their custody. The data, compiled through Illinois public records requests covering January to December of last year, indicates that while most individuals were released, the county transferred 86 jailed illegal immigrants to federal immigration authorities.
Illinois law generally prohibits state and local law enforcement from honoring ICE detainers or transferring people to immigration authorities unless presented with a federal criminal warrant. The state's sanctuary policies have drawn criticism from the Trump administration, which accuses Democratic governors of endangering community safety by declining to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement operations.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has defended Illinois's approach to immigration, arguing that the state prioritizes public safety through community policing strategies that encourage cooperation between law enforcement and immigrant communities. "Throughout my governorship, I've directed my administration to adopt policies that make Illinois a welcoming state for immigrants," Pritzker said when signing the Illinois Way Forward Act in 2021. "Every family, every child, every human being deserves to feel safe and secure in the place they call home."
Pritzker has also pushed back against Trump administration criticism following high-profile incidents, accusing the president of "politicizing" killings rather than addressing root causes of crime. The governor has called on the federal government to provide more public safety funding to states.
What the Right Is Saying
America First Legal attorney Will Scolinos described Illinois policies as creating a dangerous situation for residents. "Cook County and the State of Illinois have turned sanctuary policies into a deadly shield for criminal illegal aliens," Scolinos said in comments provided to Fox News Digital. "By releasing hundreds of illegal aliens despite explicit ICE detainers in just one year, sanctuary laws endangered American lives."
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson pointed to the role of local cooperation in federal enforcement efforts. "The safest way to arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our streets is by lodging arrest detainers," the spokesperson said. "Because sanctuary cities refuse to work with ICE law enforcement, criminal illegal aliens are released from jails into American communities to perpetuate more crimes."
What the Numbers Show
America First Legal obtained records showing Cook County released over 400 illegal immigrants in 2025 despite active ICE detainers. The county transferred 86 jailed illegal immigrants to federal custody during the same period.
According to DHS, "nearly 70% of ICE arrests" involve illegal immigrants charged or convicted of a crime in the United States. However, data compiled by the libertarian Cato Institute indicates that illegal immigrants are statistically less likely to be convicted of crimes than native-born Americans.
The records cover public contacts with Cook County jail officials between January and December 2025.
The Bottom Line
Illinois's sanctuary policies continue to create friction with federal immigration authorities who say they need local cooperation to effectively detain and remove individuals suspected of immigration violations. The Trump administration has threatened to withhold funding from jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with ICE operations, including Chicago. Lawmakers in both parties are watching how these jurisdictional disputes play out in courts and whether changes to federal funding mechanisms will push localities toward greater cooperation with immigration enforcement.