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Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023

Does an Illinois law allow undocumented immigrants to work as police officers?

Alberto Gomez, MinnPost
no

A state law approved by Gov. J.B. Pritzker will allow migrants legally authorized to work in the U.S. to become police officers in Illinois. This will include Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients. The law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Applicants still must satisfy all other requirements for the position. Immigrants without legal permission to be in the U.S. are not eligible.

In Minnesota, like Illinois, citizens and non-citizens eligible to work in the U.S. can be police officers. Some jurisdictions do have a citizenship requirement, however. For example, the city of St. Paul requires potential officers to be 21 or older, a U.S. citizen, have a valid driver’s license, have no conviction history, receive proper education and training and pass a background check.

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