REPEAL ILLINOIS TRUST ACT
The repeal is poised to affect numerous statutes, particularly those relating to the Illinois Identification Card Act and the Illinois Vehicle Code. This means a potential increase in the sharing of personal data, including disclosure of residency and identification information to federal agencies involved in immigration enforcement. The bill directly modifies how the Secretary of State can handle personal information, especially regarding not disclosing sensitive data to immigration officials under most circumstances, which would now change under this repeal.
House Bill 5209 introduces significant changes by repealing the Illinois TRUST Act. This earlier legislation was designed to limit the cooperation between state and federal immigration enforcement, thereby safeguarding the information of individuals in the state from being shared with immigration authorities. The repeal of the TRUST Act means that state officials may now be required to share immigration status and other personal information with federal enforcement agencies, effectively eroding the protections that previously limited local compliance with federal immigration requests.
There are substantial concerns surrounding the possible implications of this repeal. Advocates for immigrant rights and privacy argue that the repeal of the TRUST Act will undermine local communities’ ability to trust state institutions, potentially leading to a chilling effect in which undocumented individuals are discouraged from accessing essential services or reporting crimes. Conversely, supporters of the repeal argue that it aligns state policies with federal laws and enhances the enforcement of immigration regulations, although this perspective often neglects the significant personal implications for individuals affected by such changes.