Breaking Down Oak Park's Welcoming Ordinance: 10 Things You Need to Know

By now, you’ve probably heard about Oak Park’s new “welcoming ordinance,” which was passed by the village board on Monday. But do you know what it means?

The full text of the ordinance can be found online here — all seven pages of it. Here, we summarized the most important points and what they mean for Oak Park going forward.

Monday’s board meeting was a full house, and board members heard from various voices, some opposing the ordinance, and some (most) supporting it.

One woman, an immigrant rights attorney and an Oak Park resident, stressed the fact that this is an issue about people, not politics.

“As much as people say otherwise, immigration is not a political issue,” she said at the meeting. “Immigration is about human beings finding safety, security and a better life...it’s about families and children and communities and justice.”

She encouraged trustees to vote ‘yes’ on the ordinance.

“By voting ‘yes’...Oak Park is staying true to its long, strong historical values of equality, diversity and justice,” she said. “[We are] sending a message that there’s no place in Oak Park for anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-women, anti-LGBTQ policies. [A message of] doing something not because it is legal, but because it’s right.”

The welcoming ordinance starts with a broad statement about the community’s character.

Whereas, the Village of Oak Park welcomes diversity and believes that all individuals living in or visiting the Village should be treated fairly and with respect and dignity the Village Board wishes to further enhance the Village’s relationship with immigrant communities and make the Village of Oak Park an immigrant-friendly Village.”

And, like the attorney who spoke at the meeting, the text of the ordinance echoes America’s history.

“The Village Board finds that achieving and maintaining a community that treats documented and undocumented immigrants with respect and dignity is in line with the public policy of the Village and the principles upon which the United States was founded,” it reads.

The ordinance stresses the fact that immigrants are a necessity in the community to prevent crime and resolve problems. Here are some of its other main points:

1. No community members, including immigrants, undocumented and documented citizens, should be subjected to physical abuse, threats or intimidation.

2. The village stated that one of its main, “most important” goals is to improve relations with immigrant communities.

3. Village employees are required to treat everyone, including immigrants and undocumented citizens, with “respect and dignity.”

4. No village employees will be able to ask residents to tell them information about their background, citizenship or immigration status. In rare cases, speculation into these subjects can be explored.

5. Illinois IDs and driver’s licenses are adequate proof of identity, but a photo ID, license, passport or consulate-issued document issued by a person’s country of origin will also be accepted.

6. If someone is eligible for release from custody, nobody is allowed to prevent them from being released, stop, arrest or detain that person, regardless of who they are.

7. No village agency or employee will be permitted to accept requests by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They won’t have to assist with immigration enforcement operations in any sense or in any case.

8. No village employee will be able to enter into any agreement that would permit state or local governments to enforce federal civil immigration laws.

9. No village employees will be allowed to spend any time, facilities, equipment or other resources on programs that require people in the U.S. to be registered based on their ancestry, national origin or religion.

10. The ordinance quotes the Illinois Constitution, which states that “powers and functions of home rule units shall be construed liberally...with the intention that home rule units be given the broadest powers possible,” and promises to stick to that.

Have any questions about the ordinance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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