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Know Your Rights & Resources

The Village of Morton Grove is proud to be a welcoming, inclusive community. Everyone who lives in, works in, or visits Morton Grove has constitutional rights, no matter their citizenship or immigration status. The Village is committed to making sure every person feels safe, supported, and respected.

  • The Village provides services, including emergency response, to all Morton Grove residents, businesses, and property owners regardless of immigration status and does not ask for proof of status to deliver services. The Village will not inquire into or investigate anyone’s immigration status unless required by law or court order, and the Village does not maintain lists based on immigration status.
  • The Morton Grove Police Department treats everyone with respect, compassion, and dignity. Police officers are not legally permitted to intervene in federal immigration enforcement, do not participate in federal immigration activities, and do not detain individuals based on immigration status except when required by law.
  • The Village remains committed to fairness and to ensuring all members of the community feel safe and welcome.

Illinois Trust Act

The Village upholds the Illinois TRUST Act, Public Act 100-463, and does not participate in immigration enforcement activities or investigations. Under the TRUST Act, the Police Department MAY NOT:

  • Participate, support, or assist in any capacity with an immigration agent’s enforcement operations.
  • Detain individuals based solely on citizenship or immigration status, except under a valid criminal warrant.
  • Transfer any person into an immigration agent’s custody.
  • Give any immigration agent access to any individual who is in the Police Department’s custody.
  • Permit immigration agents’ use of law enforcement facilities or equipment, including use of non-public electronic databases, for any investigative or immigration enforcement purpose.
  • Obstruct federal law enforcement agents in the performance of their immigration enforcement activities.

What Can You Do?

Know Your Rights: The Office of the Attorney General for the State of Illinois developed an informational Know Your Rights Guide to help individuals protect themselves from unconstitutional and discriminatory actions. This information includes your rights if you are confronted by an immigration agent or if immigration agents come to your home.

Note that immigration enforcement agents must have a criminal arrest or search warrant to lawfully enter limited access, non-public areas without consent, including residences.

Report Unsafe or Suspicious Activity: The Village is not notified when or where immigration enforcement is happening. If you witness suspicious or unsafe activity in Morton Grove, call 9-1-1. When reporting, please share as many details as possible, including the location, what was observed, and any descriptions of people or vehicles involved. The Morton Grove Police Department will:

  • Respond to reports involving individual(s) claiming to be federal agents just as it would to any incident.
  • If federal agents are still present, officers, while not able to intervene in civil immigration enforcement activities, will document the incident.
  • If a crime is believed to have been committed, officers may interview witnesses, collect evidence (such as video recordings), and perform other relevant investigative efforts.

For Morton Grove Businesses: The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights (ICIRR) offers a Know Your Rights Guide for businesses and workplaces.

Be Heard: The Village will protect everyone’s right to peacefully protest within the confines of the law. The Illinois Attorney General provides guidance on Protestors’ Rights and Responsibilities.

Resources

Find Help: All individuals—regardless of immigration status—have legal rights. In order to help connect residents and other community members with reliable assistance, below is a list of local and regional resources for individuals and families to use in navigating immigration enforcement activities. The Village does not endorse any of the organizations or providers listed below.

Immigration Emergency Assistance: Call the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) Family Support Hotline at 1-855-HELP-MY-FAMILY (1-855-435-7693).

Village of Morton Grove Social Worker: [email protected] | 847-663-3072
If you are the target of civil immigration enforcement and need assistance navigating local resources and programs, please reach out to the Village’s Social Worker. The Social Worker can provide guidance, resources, and referrals to a variety of community agencies. Learn more about Village social services, review an agency directory, and find crisis and support lines at mortongroveil.org/social-services. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis where there is a risk of harm to themselves or others, call 9-1-1 immediately.

File a Complaint: If you wish to file a complaint or report a concern, the following agencies and contacts may be able to assist depending on the nature of the issue:

  • Illinois Accountability Commission: ilac.illinois.gov
    Will intake reports to support creation of a public record of the conduct of federal agents during “Operation Midway Blitz,” including the impact on individuals and communities.
  • Illinois Department of Human Rights: dhr.illinois.gov
    Will investigate complaints of discrimination with respect to employment, fair housing, financial credit, public accommodation, and education in alignment with the Illinois Human Rights Act.
  • Hate Crimes: mortongroveil.org/police | [email protected]
    Will respond to and investigate reports of hate crime based on race, national origin, or other protected characteristics.
What If My Loved One Is Detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)? 
Try to find out your loved one’s A-Number (A#) and contact one of the sources in the “Find Help” section above to seek assistance immediately. If you do not know where your loved one is being detained, you can use ICE’s detainee locator at locator.ice.gov/odls/#/index. For additional direction and information, review the Know Your Rights: What to Do if You or a Loved One is Detained guide provided by the National Immigration Justice Center (NIJC).
View & Download the Rights & Resources Guide

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