The political divide over immigration enforcement was on display at the Will County Board last week.

A resolution calling for limits to be placed on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents was put on hold Thursday amid opposition from Republicans.

The resolution passed out of the Legislative Committee on Tuesday on a 4-3 vote, with Democrats voting for it and Republicans voting against.

Largely symbolic, the resolution, among other things, calls for the state and federal government to bar ICE agents from enforcement activity “in courthouses, schools and sensitive community locations.”

Legislative Committee Chairwoman Destinee Ortiz, D-Romeoville, acknowledged earlier this week that the legislation was symbolic, with unlikely support from the federal government.

“But I do think this sends a clear message,” Ortiz said.

Not everyone is on board with the message.

“I said it’s ridiculous,” board Member Dan Butler, R-Frankfort, said Thursday after a meeting of the Executive Committee.

The resolution was headed for a final vote next week before the meeting of the Executive Committee.

Ortiz agreed to postpone the resolution indefinitely at the Executive Committee meeting.

Butler’s biggest concern was regarding the talk surrounding the resolution about masked ICE agents brandishing weapons and going into the Will County Courthouse and grabbing an immigrant.

Just what happened in the courthouse incident during the summer is unclear, although the Will County Sheriff’s Department, which polices the courthouse, has said that ICE identifies itself when they arrive.

Butler said he spoke with the sheriff’s office.

“There are a lot of inflammatory comments that are just not true,” Butler said.

Ortiz could not be reached for comment Thursday.

But in her comments earlier this week, she said, “What is happening now is our federal administration is completely violating constitutional rights. They are deporting people without any due process.”

Ortiz said the resolution was a prelude to potential county legislation under discussion to bar ICE from making arrests without warrants at the courthouse and to create ICE-free zones on county property.

No such legislation is pending, but Ortiz said there have been discussions with the sheriff’s office and the chief judge’s office.

Legislative Committee Vice Chairwoman Judy Ogalla, R-Monee, said she was not aware of those discussions but said any such legislation would face the same resistance as the resolution postponed Thursday.

“If they try to do that at the county board, there will be just as much opposition to that as there was this,” Ogalla said.

The 22-member county board is equally divided between Democrats and Republicans, although County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, a Democrat, votes to break ties.

Both Oriz and Butler said a vote on the immigration resolution would likely break down along party lines, although Butler said he suspected one or two Democrats may break ranks if the proposal makes it back for a vote.