# How Illinois County Prosecutors Quietly Became Informants for ICE

> An investigation reveals that prosecutors in multiple Illinois counties secretly collaborated with federal immigration agents, sharing sensitive personal data of defendants without warrants and leading to deportations.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Security · **Published:** 2026-08-25 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/security/how-illinois-county-prosecutors-quietly-became-informants-for-ice-21850 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Illinois, TRUST Act, Immigration Enforcement, Legal Collaboration, Civil Rights

Rolando Perez Samayoa arrived in the US in 2023 seeking safety from violence in Mexico, hoping to build a stable life in a state that he believed would protect him. Believing the promises of Illinois's 2017 TRUST Act—designed to keep local law enforcement separated from federal deportation efforts—he settled in southern Illinois and found work cleaning a factory. Following a DUI arrest in Marion County, court records confirm that he consistently attended his scheduled hearings, trusting the local judicial process.

## Internal Emails Reveal Direct Collaboration With Federal Agents

In late January, John Christeson, an assistant state’s attorney prosecuting Samayoa’s case, sent an email to Sergio Fulgencio, an agent with Homeland Security Investigations. The message provided confidential details, including Samayoa's date of birth, upcoming court schedule, and home address in Centralia, Illinois. Agent Fulgencio quickly responded to take care of the matter, and within days requested additional police reports and related tickets. Three weeks later, federal agents apprehended Samayoa outside his residence alongside his 17-year-old son.

## Widespread Data Sharing Without Warrants or Oversight

This exchange formed part of dozens of internal emails uncovered by an investigative partnership with Injustice Watch, exposing a systematic pattern of collaboration between county prosecutors and federal immigration enforcement across Illinois during the first 15 months of Donald Trump’s second term. Prosecutors in roughly 1 out of every 6 Illinois counties acted as assets for federal immigration enforcement, disclosing sensitive personal information about active defendants without criminal warrants, public notice, or legislative oversight.

## Crossing Political Lines and Operating Beyond Public View

The cooperation spanned across political parties and involved various office personnel, from elected state’s attorneys to paralegals. While the TRUST Act explicitly restricts police and sheriffs from assisting federal deportation efforts without a criminal warrant, the legislation leaves a legal ambiguity regarding whether prosecutors and their staff are bound by the same restrictions. Because much of this coordination occurred through phone calls and direct messages, defendants and their defense attorneys remained entirely unaware.

The Trump administration's aggressive push for increased immigration enforcement has made deportations highly visible across communities. While sanctuary states like Illinois have enacted laws to shield local agencies from cooperating with federal authorities, the extensive involvement of prosecutors highlights significant limitations in state protections. Investigators reviewed more than 5,000 pages of records obtained through public records requests, revealing that prosecutors routinely handed over photographs, home addresses, and precise court dates—effectively providing federal agents with optimal windows for arrests.

## Contrasting Approaches Across Different Illinois Counties

While some prosecutors enthusiastically assisted federal agents or even volunteered information, others maintained strict separation. In DuPage County, staff members communicated with immigration agents more frequently than any other prosecutor's office in the state, even fulfilling administrative subpoenas for voter fraud investigations without judicial warrants. Conversely, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart implemented a strict policy barring ICE from private office areas without a judicial warrant and actively circulated TRUST Act compliance guidelines to local law enforcement to maintain community trust.

## The Legal Divide and Consequences for Families

Legal scholars have noted that such extensive cooperation between local prosecutors and federal immigration agents is unprecedented. Prosecutors themselves remained deeply divided over whether the TRUST Act applied to their offices, with some claiming jurisdiction as law enforcement entities while others argued their offices did not handle arrests. Meanwhile, state leaders like Governor JB Pritzker faced pressure as federal sweeps continued near courthouses despite newly signed state protections intended to keep civil arrests away from judicial facilities.

## The Deportation of Rolando Perez Samayoa

For Samayoa, the debate over legal jurisdictions became irrelevant when ICE agents descended upon his home. Following a chaotic confrontation involving his teenage son, both father and son were detained, transferred to St. Louis, and ultimately pressured into accepting voluntary departures. Within hours, they were placed on a plane to Texas and escorted across the border into Ciudad Juarez. After returning to their native state of Chiapas, Samayoa reflected on his experience, vowing to warn others in Illinois that participating in the local court system could inadvertently put them on the radar of federal immigration authorities.

## What this means for you
**In the US:** Secret collaboration between local prosecutors and federal immigration agencies risks eroding immigrant trust in the judicial system, discouraging individuals from attending court hearings or cooperating with local authorities.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. What is the TRUST Act?
The TRUST Act is an Illinois law intended to prevent local law enforcement agencies from assisting federal immigration enforcement and deportation efforts.

### 2. Who is Rolando Perez Samayoa?
Rolando Perez Samayoa is an immigrant from Mexico who was detained by ICE and deported after local prosecutors shared his personal information with federal agents.

### 3. What information did prosecutors share with ICE?
Prosecutors shared sensitive personal details including dates of birth, home addresses, police reports, and precise court dates without requiring criminal warrants.

### 4. Which county prosecutor's office communicated with ICE the most?
According to reviewed records, DuPage County staff contacted federal immigration agents more frequently than any other prosecutor's office in the state.

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