- Published: Tuesday, March 12, 2019 09:33 AM
Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) co-sponsored a measure to protect undocumented immigrant tenants from landlord harassment that passed the Senate on Thursday.
Senate Bill 1290 creates the Immigrant Tenant Protection Act, which prohibits landlords from questioning a tenant’s immigration status as a means of harassment or to force an eviction.
“Tenants should be able to report issues to their landlord without worrying about their immigration status,” Munoz said. “This measure keeps families from being harassed or forced out of their homes.”
The proposal would allow tenants to report criminal activity or habitability issues without being targeted based on their immigration status.
Currently, the Illinois Human Rights Act does not protect individuals based on immigration status, nor does it place any limitations on when a landlord may request or share that information.
The legislation now moves to the House for consideration.
