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| - FACT CHECK: Did Illinois Pass A Bill Allowing Illegal Immigrants To Apply For The Police Force?
A post shared on social media by Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis claimed Illinois passed a law allowing illegal immigrants to apply for the police force.
To the Left, citizenship is meaningless. Illinois is now letting illegal aliens become police officers.
In Florida, we took action to combat the harms of Biden’s border crisis. We also value our citizen officers who serve and protect our communities.
As President, I will…
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) July 30, 2023
Verdict: Misleading
Non-citizens can apply to be police officers, but the bill makes no mention of illegal immigrants.
Fact Check:
DeSantis has agreed to a Fox News debate with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Politico reported. The Florida Gov. reiterated his desire to debate, telling Fox News host Sean Hannity that he wants this debate saying, “just tell me when and where.”
The Twitter post purports the state of Illinois has opened up the option for individuals illegally in the country to apply for the police force. This tweet has almost 2 million views and over 1 thousand retweets.
“To the Left, citizenship is meaningless. Illinois is now letting illegal aliens become police officers. In Florida, we took action to combat the harms of Biden’s border crisis. We also value our citizen officers who serve and protect our communities. As President, I will restore American sovereignty,” the tweet reads in part.
The claim is misleading. Illinois Bill Number: HB3751, effective immediately as of July 28, does allow for non-citizens to apply to be police officers, but not those in the country illegally. There are no credible news reports that suggest there is a law that allows illegal immigrants to apply to become law enforcement officers.
The law specifies that these individuals must be legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law. A non-citizen, according to the text of the act, must be “legally authorized under federal law to work in the United States and is authorized under federal law to obtain, carry, or purchase or otherwise possess a firearm.”
Those that are protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program can apply to be officers, though Democratic Democratic Illinois State Rep. Barbara Hernandez told the Associated Press (AP) that the portion of the bill is “symbolic.” DACA recipients are unable to own firearms, according to AP.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services require employers to check if their work force is allowed to work in the country. Non-citizens such as asylees and refugees are authorized to work in the U.S. While DACA recipients are authorized to work in the U.S., they do not have lawful status, according to the agency.
“Since I do not see that happening any time soon, that portion of the bill is symbolic unless their own individual department finds ways to allow them,” Hernandez told the AP.(RELATED: Did RFK Jr. Meet With Then-President Trump To Lead A Vaccine Safety Commission?)
Check Your Fact contacted Governor DeSantis’s campaign for comment. We also contacted Illinois Governor Pritzker for clarification on this bill. This article will be updated if a comment from either source is provided.
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