Illinois Bill to Allow DACA Recipients to Become Police Officers

Amid staffing shortages in police departments across the country, a new bill in Illinois will clear the path for DACA recipients looking to become police officers.

State Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) introduced the bill in the Illinois House of Representatives and said it has dual purposes.

“My hope is to not only help DACA recipients but also help the police departments that are currently going through a lot of shortage with … either COVID or retirement,” Hernandez said.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a federal program that started under the Obama administration, provides temporary deportation protection and work permits to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. before turning 16 years old.