Cook County immigration measure withdrawn

A day after they angered a commissioner to the point that he denounced them, Cook County administration allies quietly backed down Tuesday from an effort to intimidate him into supporting a county sales tax increase.

With no comment, Commissioner Bill Beavers Tuesday pulled a board agenda item he had sponsored that would have revoked the so-called immigration "sanctuary" resolution that guarantees county services to county residents regardless of their immigration status.

Commissioner Roberto Maldonado, whose vote the administration needed to pass its proposed 2 percentage-point sales tax increase, said Beavers and administration Chief of Staff Lance Tyson had threatened to revoke the resolution unless Maldonado voted with them.

The sanctuary resolution was passed earlier this year under Maldonado's sponsorship and is a major credential for him with his largely Latino constituency.

He denounced Cook County Board President Todd Stroger and Tyson Monday and refused to vote with them on the tax increase. As a result, Stroger couldn't garner the votes and his ally, Commissioner Joan Murphy, was forced to pull the tax increase from consideration.

Tuesday, Maldonado said the pulling of the agenda item made no difference in his estranged relationship with the Stroger administration.

Before he'll deal with the administration on any tax increase, Maldonado said Tuesday afternoon, it will have to promise to help him strengthen his resolution into an ordinance, he said.

Maldonado said he had several other conditions, but would not disclose them publicly.