State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) released the following statement after the Secretary of Homeland Security held a press conference in Springfield on Latino Unity Day:

“The people who I represent care about their immigrant friends, neighbors and family members. They care about due process and they care about safe, secure neighborhoods. They deserve to live with dignity, take care of their families and contribute to their communities without worrying about being harassed by the federal government.

“Every resident in our state is entitled to due process. That’s what Illinois has stood for and will continue standing for in the face of efforts to roll back our rights. We step up for those in need and live out our values as a welcoming state.

“The federal government may be waging a war on our values and our Constitution, but here in Illinois, we will defend our communities and the fundamental rights that make us who we are.”