Peoria Standard

U.S. Representative Darin LaHood from Illinois has expressed concerns regarding sanctuary city policies, stating that they have endangered residents. He explained his vote to bar illegal immigrants convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) from obtaining citizenship or remaining in the United States. LaHood made these remarks on the social media platform X.

"Governor Pritzker's reckless sanctuary city policies have given safe haven to illegal immigrants, leading to tragedies across our state," said LaHood, U.S. Representative from Illinois. "Today, I voted to ensure that any illegal immigrant caught driving under the influence is not eligible for citizenship and removed from the US."

Illinois sanctuary city policies, such as the TRUST Act and Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance, are designed to limit local police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement to build trust within immigrant communities. However, critics argue that these measures may impede public safety efforts, as reported by the New York Post.

According to the Illinois DUI Fact Book and commentary from Salvi & Maher, while there were 37,126 DUI arrests in Illinois in 2012, the state does not specifically track DUI arrests among undocumented immigrants. National studies, including those by the Cato Institute, have found no evidence suggesting that undocumented immigrants contribute to higher DUI rates.

A 2017 analysis by the Vera Institute of Justice indicates that sanctuary counties like those in Illinois generally have lower crime rates than non-sanctuary counties. Furthermore, national data shows no increase in crime associated with sanctuary policies compared to other states.

According to his official U.S. House of Representatives biography, LaHood is a Republican U.S. Representative from Illinois who was first elected in 2015. He previously served in the Illinois State Senate and focuses on fiscal, trade, and law enforcement policy.