SPRINGFIELD – To protect Illinois residents’ constitutional rights and secure access to essential services amid rampant immigration enforcement activities, State Senator Omar Aquino advanced legislation outlining protections for hospitals and daycare centers.

“Daycares and hospitals should be places of safety and security, not targets of intimidation. No parent should have to wonder if dropping off their child could put their family at risk, and no person should fear if going to get medical attention will cause them more suffering,” said Aquino (D-Chicago). “We’ve already seen ICE agents come into a hospital room in my district. We’re not talking about what could happen – it’s already happening. The time to act is now.”

The proposal – spearheaded by Aquino – would require all Illinois hospitals to develop comprehensive policies governing law enforcement interactions. Hospitals would be required to establish protocols for verifying law enforcement identity and authority, protecting patient privacy, and providing immigration rights information. General acute care hospitals would be required to comply by Jan. 1, 2026, and all other hospitals by March 1, 2026, with penalties of $500 per day for noncompliance.

House Bill 1312 would also require licensed daycare centers to adopt policies notifying parents and requiring parental consent before sharing children's information with law enforcement, update emergency contact procedures, and establish protocols when parents face immigration enforcement. Centers would not be permitted to disclose citizenship or immigration status information unless required by law and could not consent to law enforcement entry without valid judicial warrants, orders or subpoenas.

“What’s happening in our communities is unacceptable. Masked and armed agents have invaded our sacred spaces – hospitals, schools, and churches – places that are essential to the well-being of our communities. Our neighbors are afraid to leave their homes, forgoing medical treatment and afraid of being taken from their families with no due process or recourse for justice,” said Aquino. “This is not hypothetical. We cannot stand by as aggressive federal immigration enforcement spreads unchecked. We must act now to protect the health of our communities and the safety of our children.”

House Bill 1312 passed the Senate Thursday.

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