Kane County Sheriff's Office 'Cannot Support ICE' Because Of IL Law: Hain

KANE COUNTY, IL — As federal agencies crack down on immigration in Illinois, carrying out President Donald Trump's promise, the Kane County Sheriff's Office said it would not support the raids, citing state law.

On Jan. 23, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued updated guidance for law enforcement officials indicating they cannot assist with any immigration enforcement operations — that's up to the federal government, the office said in a news release.

"State law prohibits Illinois law enforcement from entering into immigration enforcement agreements with immigration authorities, complying with immigration detainers, transferring individuals into immigration agents' custody without a criminal warrant, and allowing immigration agents access to state and local facilities for civil investigative or enforcement purposes," the release reads.

The provisions were made to the TRUST Act and the Voices of Immigrant Communities Empowering Survivors Act, both enacted to "increase trust and cooperation between immigrant communities and police departments generally by prohibiting law enforcement agencies from participating in federal civil immigration enforcement, and by creating procedural requirements to support immigrants who have been victims of violent crime or human trafficking."

Days after dozens of people were arrested in Chicago by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain published a memo on Facebook Tuesday to remind locals of this new guidance.

"To reiterate continuously: We cannot communicate with or support ICE by State law," Hain wrote. "If you have questions about their activity, please call them at 888-351-4024."

RELATED: Dozens Arrested In Chicago ICE Raids: Reports

The arrests in Chicago have included several people convicted of serious crimes, including murder and sex offenses, Patch reported. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that he supported the deportation of violent criminals with convictions.

Pritzker previously said ICE raids in Chicago could target around 2,000 people.

Last week, the Illinois State Board of Education also released updated guidance advising schools to do their best to protect immigrant students while also adhering to state and federal law.

An estimated 733,000 school-aged children are in the U.S. illegally, including 21,000 in Illinois, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Many more have U.S. citizenship but have parents who are in the country illegally.

"ISBE believes schools should be a safe haven for all students where students should be able to learn without fear," state education officials noted in the new guidance.

RELATED: If ICE Comes To School: IL Issues Guidance For Teachers, Staff