The Democrat Gov. of Illinois pledged to block red state National Guard troops from carrying out raids against illegal immigration, saying it’s “just not something we’re going accept.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is one of several blue state leaders who’ve created the “Governors Safeguarding Democracy” (GSD) alliance in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. Trump’s appointment of Tom Homan as border czar has (fortunately) not helped to ease Democrat tension over the forthcoming administration’s plans to tackle illegal immigration. In fact, they’re more scared than ever before to see law and order enforced.
Illinois has one of the highest populations of illegal immigrants in the country, according to data from the Pew Research Center. It ranked 6th nationwide in 2022, with 400,000 illegal aliens making up around 5% of the state’s overall population. Government estimates of illegal aliens tend to be massive underestimates. For example, as the federal government estimated “only” 11 million illegals living in the U.S., one Yale study had the figure double that – and this was before the Biden administration and the border crisis that followed.
Pritzker defended the GSD alliance, referring to a recent 60 Minutes interview with Homan where he touched on the return of workplace raids. The Illinois Gov. said: “We also just want to make sure there isn’t a violation of people’s rights with raids that are done in coordination [with] local law enforcement. We think that’s improper and in Illinois, that’s not something that we would condone.”
One social media user noted Pritzker’s apparent shift in tone towards illegal aliens, having previously pleaded Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to stop sending illegals to his state.
As was reported at the time:
Pritzker took out a full-page ad in the Austin American-Statesman newspaper, publishing a letter he sent to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The letter urges Abbott to stop sending migrants to Chicago.
“The next few days are a threat to the families and children you are sending here. I am pleading with you to at least pause these transports in order to save lives,” Pritzker wrote to his Texas counterpart. “I plead with you for mercy for the thousands of people who are powerless to speak for themselves. Please, while winter is threatening vulnerable people’s lives, suspend your transports and do not send more people to our state.”
He used winter as an excuse – but never expressed any enthusiasm for taking in those illegals during any other seasons.
Others were convinced that preventing National Guard troops from conducting enforcement would cut federal funding to the state.
There were also questions as to whether Pritzker’s opposition conflicted with the view of the country, and his state.
