The Lake County Board, mirroring a recent move by the city of Chicago, voted to prohibit the use of county-owned parking lots, vacant properties and garages for civil immigration enforcement operations during Tuesday’s board meeting.

Board members traded strong words and barbs during a lengthy debate about the proposal, ultimately voting down a proposed amendment and passing the resolution by a 14-5 vote.

Last week, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order prohibiting federal immigration authorities from staging and carrying out operations on city-owned land, including parking lots, vacant properties and garages.

Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart, District 13, said State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart tracked down the executive order and drafted a similar resolution. According to a State’s Attorney’s Office representative, officials have identified 28 locations that would be impacted by the decision, although additional research might lead to the discovery of more locations.

The move comes as Lake County finds itself caught up in a broader immigration enforcement fight in the Chicago area. Last week, a Waukegan incident caught on video drew notable media attention when Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham attempted to intervene in the arrest of native-born American citizen Dariana Fajardo.

Reports of agents with the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, more commonly known as ICE, have risen in recent weeks, sparking outrage from community members and some local leaders.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart speaks during an Oct. 1 Lake County Board meeting. The State’s Attorney Office had drafted a resolution mirroring an executive order in Chicago prohibiting the use of county parking lots and garages for civil immigration enforcement. (Joe States/Pioneer Press)

Board member Esiah Campos spoke in favor of the resolution, saying it would show the county is taking action against an “occupying force” that was targeting the Hispanic community.

“Everybody’s starting to wake up,” Campos said after the meeting. “People on the left are very vocal. People on the right are starting to wake up that mass deportation is actually family separation. We’re going to need everybody.”

Sara Knizhnik, District 18, compared the current events to experiences she had in Russia shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, voicing her support for making a political stand.

“The greater good at this time is that the Lake County Board makes a clear, unequivocal stance that we are not in support of these policies from the federal government that are attacking so many of our residents and citizens,” she said.

Some of the most charged words came from board member Gina Roberts, District 4.

“We are in a time of fascism, and we need to say it out loud,” Roberts said. “We need to stand up with our U.S. citizens. We need to be leaders.”

But board members were not unanimous about the issue.

Ann Maine, District 3, proposed a failed amendment to the resolution removing references to immigration enforcement that some criticized would “water down” its purpose, but which she argued would actually broaden its scope while still covering the issue of immigration enforcement.

Michael Danforth, District 17, was one of the five board members to vote against the resolution, and was one of the most vocal critics during Tuesday’s meeting, calling the move “kabuki theater.” The federal government is within its rights to enforce immigration laws, he said, and he criticized officials who he felt were using recent incidents for political gain.

“They are lawfully authorized to investigate and, if necessary, to make arrests,” Danforth said. “If you’re agitating federal law enforcement officers and you happen to be Hispanic or any other ethnic persuasion, whether you’re a citizen or not, you’re going to be arrested.”

He also took issue with comments made by Roberts and other board members using what he described as “hyperbolic rhetoric” in throwing around terms like “fascist” and “kidnapping.”

“It is dangerous rhetoric,” he said. “It has gotten us to the point where we are today.”

Defending Maine’s amendment, Danforth argued it “accomplishes what we need to do without continually poking the bear of the federal government.”

The resolution went before the full board after bypassing its Financial and Administrative Committee with permission from committee Chair Paul Frank, expressly for the purpose of sending a message to the broader community sooner rather than later, board members said.

Hart and Frank said the resolution, which will include the installation of signs stating the new rule, will be done at minimal cost and does not require committee review. Danforth unsuccessfully called for the resolution to first be sent back to the committee.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/15/lake-county-bar-feds-properties/