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Domestic Violence and ICE
Recently, our office received the following message from The Network, a membership based organization dedicated to improving the lives of those impacted by gender-based violence through education, public policy and advocacy, and connecting community members with direct service providers. This message concerns Domestic Violence cases, the presence of ICE, and options:
As you are well aware, U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officials have begun an extended operation in Cook County which has included maintaining a presence at many courthouses, including the Centralized Domestic Violence Courthouse (555 W. Harrison) and many suburban branches of the Domestic Violence Division including Rolling Meadows, Maywood, and Markham.
The Network has made our opposition to this loud and clear. Now, we've pivoted to actions that will help keep our community safe. We wanted to share our approach with you, as survivor constituents may contact your office for support and guidance during these trying times.
First, know that we are closely monitoring ICE's presence at all courthouses that process civil or criminal domestic violence cases in collaboration with our member organizations who provide legal advocacy and legal aid services across the county. A communication plan is in place to share information widely using a community listserv and advocates are prepared to provide rapid response to ICE's presence by contacting the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and distributing Know Your Rights materials in the vicinity.
Survivors must maintain access to justice, even when physical access to the courthouse is unsafe. To that end, we've taken additional steps to reduce the risk of harm until further notice.
We have increased staffing on the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline and are working closely with county stakeholders to provide both live updates about ICE's presence at courthouses day-to-day and to assist with remote order of protection (OP) filings. If you are contacted by a survivor with questions about pursuing an OP at this time, please direct them to 1-877-863-6338. Once emergency orders of protection are filed, future status hearings may default to virtual hearings.
For Cook County constituents who have concern about upcoming court dates, we have additional guidance.
Status hearings and order of protection filings can be accessed remotely. Division and district courtroom Zoom credentials can be found here. We encourage individuals dealing with other kinds of court proceedings to contact the Clerk's Office at 312-603-5030 if they are unsure whether their court case is eligible for remote hearing options.
As ICE presence continues, we know many people will silently turn away from accessing justice through our court system. We are pressing the importance of expanded virtual options on the Office of the Chief Judge and the Circuit Court to preserve access court proceedings at this time.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, we hope that you will seek help and if you know someone who needs help, please forward this email to them.
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