JB Pritzker Gets Grilled Over Foolish Sanctuary Policies

Written by David E. Smith

On Thursday, June 12th, during a U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing titled “A Hearing with Sanctuary State Governors,” Governor JB Pritzker was confronted about Illinois’ sanctuary policies and their perceived impact on public safety and state resources.

U.S. Representatives Mary Miller (R-Quincy) and Darin LaHood (R-Peoria) grilled Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on the devastating consequences of his sanctuary policies and his failure to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. 

Miller highlighted the tragic murders committed by illegal aliens in Illinois who should never have been allowed into America, emphasizing that these policies are putting American lives at risk:

Illegal aliens in our state have overwhelmed local communities, causing untold pain and suffering, while costing Illinois taxpayers billions. Governor, from what I can tell, you are doing everything in your power to roll out the red carpet for illegal aliens and protect them, all at the expense of the working people of Illinois. Your policies have been disastrous for our state, and would be disastrous for this country.

Watch the entire six-minute video of Miller’s questioning:

LaHood accused Governor Pritzker of “endangering public safety” and engaging in “government malpractice” by implementing policies that, in LaHood’s view, hinder cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. In his opening statement directed at the Illinois governor, he said:

I think you honestly believe that refusing to turn over convicted felons to federal authorities makes our community safer. And I’ll tell you, governor, it doesn’t. And as a former federal and state prosecutor who’s worked very closely with law enforcement, none of that makes us safer or makes law enforcement feel comfortable. Instead of working with federal law enforcement to remove dangerous individuals from our streets in Chicago and across Illinois, you’re creating bureaucratic roadblocks and political cover. And in my view, that’s not leadership, it’s government malpractice.

LaHood also specifically cited the Illinois Way Forward Act as creating “bureaucratic roadblocks” for law enforcement, bringing up examples of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants in Illinois and suggesting a direct link to the state’s sanctuary policies.

LaHood also highlighted Illinois’ out-migration of residents and declining population as evidence of the negative impact of these policies, arguing that Pritzker has “spotlighted Illinois” in an unfortunate way.

Watch their exchange in this five and a half minute video HERE, or watch below:

Governor Pritzker, in turn, defended Illinois’ policies, including the Illinois TRUST Act, which limits local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with ICE. He emphasized that the state follows the law and that violent criminals, regardless of immigration status, should be prosecuted and removed from the country if undocumented.

However, while Governor Pritzker emphasized due process and criticized what he termed “abuses of power” by the federal government in immigration enforcement, he sidestepped the deliberate actions taken by Democratic officials to prevent local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration authorities, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A critical follow-up would have been to ask whether the Governor’s refusal to fully cooperate with federal immigration laws, despite his oath to “support the Constitution of the United States” and our federal immigration laws, constitutes an abuse of his own power.

Under the Pritzker administration, local and state law enforcement agencies are barred from holding individuals in custody solely based on detainer requests from ICE or from participating in immigration enforcement operations. This includes restrictions on sharing information about detainees or transferring individuals into federal custody for civil immigration issues unless required by law or accompanied by a criminal warrant.

Pritzker also blamed “border state governors” for busing migrants to Illinois, leading to strain on state resources. He maintained that the federal government needs to implement comprehensive immigration reform. Yet Pritzker did not criticize the open border policy of the Biden Administration, in which an estimated 160,000 illegal immigrants crossed into the United States.

A staggering 11 million border encounters were recorded by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during Biden’s four years in office. In addition to these numbers, the New York Post reports that over 1.7 million “got aways” crossed the southern border and evaded capture during the Biden administration. A document released late last year by U.S. Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) mentions at least 2 million “got-aways” who have evaded Border Patrol, meaning over 7 million illegal aliens have entered the U.S. under this administration.

The entire 8 hours of the committee hearing can be viewed HERE on CSPAN.

Illinois Republicans Respond

The Illinois Freedom Caucus responded critically to Gov. JB Pritzker’s recent congressional testimony regarding Illinois’ sanctuary state policies, holding a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol to address their stance on sanctuary cities. Members of the caucus who spoke include Illinois State Representatives Chris Miller (R-Charleston), Blaine Wilhour (R-Louisville), Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville), and Illinois State Senator Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport). They rightly criticized Pritzker’s policies, arguing that sanctuary state laws have had negative impacts on taxpayers and public safety.

The Illinois Freedom Caucus has consistently called for the repeal of the TRUST Act, which underpins Illinois’ sanctuary status, asserting that these policies have cost taxpayers billions and created a “gold rush” of illegal immigration. During the congressional hearing, Pritzker defended Illinois’ sanctuary laws, emphasizing that the state follows the law and expects the federal government to do the same. He criticized the federal government for failing to enact comprehensive immigration reform and for creating a crisis that Illinois had to manage with empathy and urgency.

Watch the entire 11-minute video HERE or watch below: