A recent investigation has uncovered a troubling pattern of collaboration between Illinois county prosecutors and federal immigration agencies, effectively undermining the state's own 'sanctuary' protections for immigrants. The investigation, conducted in partnership with **Injustice Watch**, a Chicago-based nonprofit newsroom, reveals that state's attorneys' offices in one out of every six Illinois counties acted as conduits for **Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)**, a division of **U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)**. These offices shared sensitive personal data about individuals they were prosecuting, often without criminal warrants, public disclosure, or legislative oversight. ### The Case of Rolando Perez Samayoa **Rolando Perez Samayoa**, who sought safety in Illinois after fleeing violence in Mexico, became one such individual. Despite the state's 2017 **TRUST Act**, which aims to prevent local law enforcement from assisting federal deportation efforts, Samayoa was flagged to federal agents. In January, **John Christeson**, an assistant state’s attorney in Marion County, emailed an HSI agent, **Sergio Fulgencio**, providing Samayoa's date of birth, upcoming court date, and home address. This exchange led to Samayoa's apprehension by federal agents outside his home three weeks later, with his 17-year-old son also taken into custody. ### Widespread Collaboration Revealed The investigation, based on over 5,000 pages of internal emails and case files obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, indicates that this was not an isolated incident. The documents show prosecutors sharing much more than just names, including photographs, home addresses, and precise court or release dates—information critical for ICE to coordinate arrests. This collaboration often occurred without the knowledge of defendants or their legal counsel, crossing party lines and involving personnel from paralegals to elected state’s attorneys. ### The TRUST Act's Limitations The **TRUST Act** explicitly bars police and other agencies from aiding federal agents in deportations without a federal criminal warrant. However, the law does not explicitly extend these restrictions to prosecutors and their staff, creating a significant loophole. This gap in legislation is particularly concerning given the current administration's increased focus on immigration enforcement. While states like New York have joined Illinois in barring local police from assisting federal immigration enforcement, the scale of prosecutorial collaboration in a prominent 'sanctuary' state like Illinois raises critical questions about the effectiveness and scope of such protective laws. ### Consequences and Choices The investigation highlights that this collaboration was not inevitable. Numerous Illinois county prosecutors reported no contact with ICE, and at least one actively chose to prevent such exchanges. This suggests that each act of information sharing was a deliberate choice, with profound consequences for individuals and families facing detention and deportation. The findings underscore the need for clearer legislative guidelines and increased oversight to ensure that 'sanctuary' policies genuinely protect privacy and due process for all residents.