Republican lawmakers demanded a repeal of the Illinois Trust Act during a news conference Aug. 12 after a double fatal crash they say was caused by a Guatemalan national living in Freeport.
Rolando Ico-Choc, 30, was on probation for a 2023 Stephenson County DUI at the time of the crash, according to county court records. It was his second Stephenson County DUI conviction since 2022, and a Stephenson County warrant had been issued for his arrest after he failed to appear in court June 27 for a routine court check-in, records show.
State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, State Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, and House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, seized on the fatal crash during a news conference broadcast live on Facebook by WIFR-23. They blamed the Trust Act, Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Democrats for immigration policies they said allowed Ico-Choc to remain in the United States.
“To be crystal clear, this person was in this country illegally,” Chesney said. “He was a multiple criminal offender with domestics and felony DUIs. And our local law enforcement is unable to communicate with federal authorities to remove people like this from our state and our country. It’s a direct result of the policy we have passed in Springfield.”
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Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall said Ico-Choc was driving a Nissan Altima south on Illinois 26 when his vehicle crossed into the northbound lanes of traffic. It collided with a Ford Edge driven by Darcy Connolly-Brunner, 61. Police are investigating whether Ico-Choc was driving while impaired. They do not suspect Connolly-Brunner of impairment.
Both drivers, who were the sole occupants of their vehicles, were killed.
Pritzker’s campaign did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
The Illinois Trust Act prohibits Illinois police agencies from detaining people based on immigration status or from enforcing federal civil immigration law. It was approved by the General Assembly in 2017 and signed into law by then Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Critics complained the law turned Illinois into a “sanctuary state.”
Cabello said the crash was preventable and blamed it on state policies that prevent cooperation between local law enforcement and federal agents to enforce immigration laws.
“I hold JB Pritzker personally responsible. I hold the Democrats personally responsible. This should not have happened, period,” Cabello said. “We have a life that was taken by somebody who shouldn’t have been here. There are millions of people that come to this great nation legally. That’s what we want. That’s what we as tax-paying citizens deserve.”
Court records indicate that Ico-Choc was sentenced to court supervision and alcohol treatment following a 2022 DUI conviction. He was arrested on a misdemeanor 2023 domestic violence charge and completed two years probation. He was sentenced to 80 days in jail and 30 months probation stemming from a 2023 DUI.
Ico-Choc had not yet completed probation from the 2023 DUI and was wanted on a warrant for failure to appear in state court when the fatal Aug. 9 crash occurred, according to court records.
Calling the crash an “unimaginable and devastating” tragedy, McCombie offered her condolences to the Brunner family. She said “sanctuary” policies are making Illinois unsafe.
“When tragedies like this happen we look for answers,” McCombie said. “We look for ways to make sense of something that feels senseless. We have to be honest, some of those answers point to failed policies. In Illinois, the sanctuary state laws and the SAFE-T Act have weakened law enforcement, made it harder to cooperate with federal authorities and allowed dangerous individuals to remain in our communities.”
Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall called Connolly-Brunner “more than just a member of the community, she was a friend.
“She was a kind and giving person who cared deeply for her family and friends,” Stovall said. “She had a way of making people feel welcome and valued. Her passing has left a hole in the hearts of those who knew her, including myself and members of my family.”
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Republicans demand repeal of Illinois Trust Act after fatal crash