In June 2020, an Illinois court ordered landlords to pay $80,000 to former tenants who faced intimidation by threats of reporting them to ICE. This ruling is significant as it marks the first application of the Immigrant Tenant Protection Act (ITPA) enacted in 2019, which safeguards tenants from discrimination based on immigration status. The former tenants had initially negotiated rent terms prior to being pressured to vacate, showcasing a struggle against unfair rental practices and highlighting legal affirmations for immigrant rights in housing.
This decision provides a measure of justice to a family facing a landlord willing to threaten to call federal immigration authorities in the belief that it would scare tenants.
Such unscrupulous conduct is appropriately unlawful under Illinois state law.
The tenants were not provided a copy of this contract, highlighting a lack of transparency and fairness in landlord-tenant agreements.
The 2019 Immigrant Tenant Protection Act prohibits landlords from using a tenant's immigration status to harass or intimidate them.
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