Cook County (aka Crook COunty) should keep illegal immigrants locked up for ICE. They won't though because Chicago is a Democrat controlled sanctuary city and panders to people like Luis Gutierrez who believe they have the right to violate federal law if they disagree with it. The lie that this is about the cost of incarceration is used as an excuse to free illegal aliens who have committed a crime in this country. Look at the politicians - they can't even call these people ILLEGAL immigrants, which is what they are. They violated our federal law to come here and now they have rights? Give me a break. I can't wait to leave this corrupt state.

What part of "illegal immigrants" don't our Democratic leaders understand???????
ICE should have access to every one of them!!!!

Should Cook County ignore the request of federal immigration officials to keep undocumented immigrants in jail longer? Absolutely not! Anyone who violates the law should be arrested, that means Toni Preckwinkle, Tom Dart, and any Cook County commissioner who violates federal law should be charged just like anyone else… These politicians are not above the law; they’re supposed to set a good example, not a poor one. Start enforcing the law, whether you agree or not.

Cook County should honor the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued detainers. Why is Chicago Tonight wrongly describing illegal aliens as "undocumented workers". My Permanent Resident Card has an Alien Registration Number on it, not a "documented worker number". If you are "undocumented", you are illegal and breaking the US law. I obtained my Resident Card here in the correct manner and paid the correct fees. I have earned the right to call "undocumented workers" what they really are, Illegal Aliens!

Absolutely not !! An undocumented or illegal immigrant should definitely be turned over to federal officials. Just listened to the lady on your program state that to hold them is against American values... they are ILLEGAL -- they are NOT US citizens so at what point did they earn or become entitled to American rights or even values? They are citizens of another country - be it Mexico, Korea, or where ever-- not America - and, to the best of my knowledge, are required to abide by our laws as long as they are in our country. However, as citizens of another country I don't see where they are entitled to our rights. Just being in the US illegally is against the law - let alone whatever additional violation brought them to the county jail
I really can't understand why people can't seem to differentiate between an immigrant and an illegal immigrant - and why is it commonly assumed in the press that both categories of immigrants are entitled to the rights granted under U.S. Citizenship --

They should lock-up DART and PERWINKLE for breaking federal law they were elected to enforce not breaking the law only reason is for the VOTE

I do not understand how the rights of an undocumented alien who has illegally crossed into our country and may have committed a felony while here is drawing so much sympathy. What about the victim, the US citizen whose civil rights were stripped of them if this person robbed, injured or even murdered them? A few days detention may have prevented the murderer in the story mentioned in the piece from avoiding justice by simply crossing back over the border. Hopefully, stories like this will get the attention of the city and the county to enact laws to protect it's citizens.

Though I did not vote for Toni Preckwinkle, I admit that I approve of the job she has done thus far, but on this issue she is wrong.

Of course not. To refuse to to hold people who have allegedly committed serious crimes for ICE boggles the mind. Would Cook County refuse to hold someone who is wanted on a felony warrant from another state? It boggles the mind and has made me think much less of Toni Preckwinkle, whom I had previously
thought was doing a good job.

Cook County should lead by example and cooperate with ICE.

Of course they should comply with the ICE hold orders. First of all we are talking about someone who violated the law just by being here. Putting that aside though we are talking about someone who is in JAIL meaning the have been arrested for committing yet another crime. These are not the type of people we need to have walking around the streets.

Additionally ICE in cases of serious crime, ICE should hold them until they have been tried. It makes no sense for the county to let them out to potentially commit additional crimes. It makes no sense for ICE to deport them prior to their trial for whatever crime they were in jail for. The unfortunate fact is that those who flee back to their home country (or are deported back to their home country) are very likely to again illegally re-enter the U.S. and continue to commit crimes in some other county or city.

i think the major problem with the federal approach to illegal immigration is that it has been cast in terms of criminal law. but there is a substantive difference between this issue and other criminal law. apart from misconduct, which is not relevant to this issue, there is no penal intent or objective by the feds. it is simply a matter of 'does someone belong in the US or not. it therefore would be better if the congress would treat unlawful presence in the US as a civil matter, subject to a civil hearing, which would be for the sole purpose of determining the immigration status of the individual.

it is inappropriate for the state or county to release an individual, arrested for a "criminal" offense except to ICE after notification of the anticipated immigration hearing.