Like Village, Wilmette Park District ordinance responds to Operation Midway Blitz

In what’s believed to be a first in the state of Illinois, the Wilmette Park Board has approved an ordinance addressing civil immigration enforcement on its properties.

The unanimous approval of the ordinance on Monday, Dec. 8, comes a month after the Village of Wilmette passed its own ordinance, with both coming in response to Operation Midway Blitz, a recent immigration crackdown that saw street-level enforcement in Chicago and its suburbs, including Wilmette.

While the operation has been pulled back for now, federal officials have said agents will return in the spring.

The park district’s ordinance:

• Prevents park district property from being used as a staging/operation site for federal immigration activities;

• Differentiates between civil immigration enforcement and “lawful enforcement actions” that the park district can’t obstruct, which includes the execution of “lawful judicial warrants”; and

• Supports its employees with information and resources “that can be communicated and enforced in real time.”

“This (ordinance) will allow staff to move forward with educating all of our employees so that they know what to do, when to do that, and also to create all of those protocols that we’ll need to have internally so that we are prepared should anything happen in the spring,” said Chris Lindgren, the park district’s executive director.

Park Board attorney Andrew Paine added that the park district, while a separate governing body, is limited in what it is allowed to do in an ordinance regulating federal immigration activities.

“Working with Chris, we tried to push things as far as we could to create protections in the community within the bounds that we have as a park district,” Paine said. “And I think that’s where we ended up with the draft ordinance that’s on the agenda tonight.”

Paine and Lindgren said they believe the ordinance is the first in the state to address federal immigration enforcement on park district property.

Lindgren noted that because of that Paine had to write the ordinance from scratch.

“It is unique, and it is not something that we could find any example of to work from,” he said. “I think that Andrew did a great job making sure that we are doing as much as we can within the law, at least today, on how we can help protect people in our spaces.”

Commissioner Julie Adrianopoli asked that the Park Board remain vigilant and ready to adjust the ordinance if necessary, a statement echoed by other commissioners.

“I’m very comfortable with what is currently being proposed, but it’s something that I’d like us to continue to monitor, especially as other cities and municipalities are passing various legislation,” she said.

Park Board President Patrick Lahey said the ordinance will be important in protecting everybody who uses park district properties, but specifically mentioned the park district’s 1,100 employees, many of whom are seasonal.

“I personally believe that the Wilmette Park District is the single most powerful force for community of anyone else,” he said. “We’re the ones that watch your kids, we’re the ones that watch your parents, we have your parks. This ordinance supports that mission and that feeling 100% because it supports our patrons and it supports our village partners, who we stand with 100%.

“But we’re nothing without our employees, and civil enforcement actions affect the 1,100 employees we have far more than any of us up here on the dais. … Our responsibility is to provide that safe working environment for everyone who works here, and affirmation of this ordinance supports our staff, the people who will make the park district that community force that I believe we are.”

Lahey added that the ordinance will be used to help train staff on what to do should they are working and federal immigration officials show up. That includes teenagers who are working as lifeguard and camp counselors, among other roles.

He added that there will be changes to the ordinance as more information becomes available.

“This is not going away, and even if it does, we have to plan for it because of the absurdity of the situation,” he said. “So we’ll continue to work with the village, talk to them, engage them and all our other partners as much as we can.”

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

Become a member of The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community.

Already a member? You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time.