Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a law that means landlords could face a civil rights violation lawsuit if they refuse to sell or rent their property to an illegal immigrant.
The new legislation, Senate Bill 1817, amends the Illinois Human Rights Act, under the banner of equality and inclusivity, to include “immigration status” as a protected class.
The amendments, signed into law by Mr. Pritzker, emphasize the protection of “immigration status” alongside familial status and source of income. The act (pdf) defines “immigration status as “a person’s actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status.”
The act explicitly prohibits civil rights violations in real estate transactions and other acts, such as refusing to engage in a transaction, altering transaction terms, refusing to negotiate, making discriminatory representations, or publishing discriminatory advertisements….