A Preventable Death—and a Call to Fix Illinois Law

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

Passed in 2017, the Illinois TRUST Act set heavy boundaries on local law enforcement cooperation with federal law enforcement.

Functionally, the Illinois TRUST Act:

• Prohibits local law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration law,

• Prohibits detaining individuals for purely immigration status reasons,

• Prohibits local law enforcement from assisting in federal immigration operations, and

• Prohibits local law enforcement from transferring detainees into ICE custody without proper authorization.

Because of this, Illinois is broadly known as a “sanctuary state” for illegal immigrants.

This law, and other policies such as the Way Forward Act, VOICES Act, Keep Illinois Families Together Act, have all strengthened the “sanctuary” status of Illinois for illegal immigrants.

On January 19, 2025, these policies directly led to the tragic and preventable death of Katie Abraham.

Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old college student, along with her friend, Chloe Polzin, were killed in a drunk-driving hit-and-run accident involving criminal illegal immigrant, Julio Cucul-Bol.

Katie’s father, Joe Abraham, was rightly furious at the Illinois policies that aided and abetted Julio’s role in his daughter’s death.

NPR Illinois reported,

“The Abraham family has been vocal about their daughter’s death — and blaming Illinois Democrats for sanctuary policies as they argue the country needs stricter vetting policies.”

Currently, Joe Abraham and Illinois State Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) are calling on the Illinois General Assembly to pass SB 4196.

Senator Rose commented,

“Right now, Illinois law limits how local law enforcement can work with federal authorities, creating confusion and dangerous gaps that put public safety at risk…

My bill is straightforward. If there is a valid, enforceable federal warrant, law enforcement should be able to act, communicate, and coordinate. We should trust our officers to do their jobs and give them the tools they need to protect our communities.”

According to the Illinois Senate GOP, SB 4196 would:

• Clarify that prohibitions on enforcing federal civil immigration laws do not apply when law enforcement is presented with a valid, enforceable federal warrant.

• Allow communication and coordination between federal agencies and local law enforcement officials.

• Remove current prohibitions against agreements to detain individuals for federal civil immigration violations.

• Repeal restrictions that prevent information sharing and cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

• Repeal the Court Access, Safety, and Participation Act, allowing immigration enforcement officials to apprehend criminal offenders held in county jails and near courthouses.

In his statement, Joe Abraham voiced his support of SB4196:

“No family should ever have to experience this kind of loss…

If speaking out can help prevent even one family from going through this pain, then it’s worth it. Public safety should come first, and law enforcement agencies should be able to work together to stop dangerous criminals before more innocent lives are lost.”

Contact your State Senator through our Officials Finder and urge them to SUPPORT SB 4196.