Since President Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, Illinois’ sanctuary policies have led to the release of 1,768 criminal illegal immigrants despite ICE detainers, including five charged with murder, 141 with assault, and 10 with sex crimes.
Additionally, over 4,000 more with active detainers remain in custody, linked to 51 homicides, 813 sex offenses, and other violent crimes. Reacting to this staggering number, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons urged Attorney General Kwame Raoul for cooperation, highlighting cases like convicted kidnapper Victor Mendoza-Garcia and child sex offender Jaime Mandujano-Nunez. Additionally, the DHS has criticized Governor Pritzker for endangering communities by prioritizing sanctuary laws over public safety.
Issuing a confident statement, Tricia McLaughlin, a high-ranking official at the Department of Homeland Security, declared, “Governor Pritzker and his fellow Illinois sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, pedophiles, and kidnappers back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk.”
Continuing her remarks, she said, “We are calling on Governor Pritzker and his administration to stop this dangerous derangement and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 4,000 criminal illegal aliens in Illinois’ custody. It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans.”
Adding to the condemnation, Todd Lyons, the ICE Acting Director, said, “These sanctuary policies that release criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets of Illinois put American lives at risk,” echoing comments from the law enforcement community.
However, despite these sobering statistics, JB Pritzker, the Democratic Governor of Illinois, doubled down on his absurd position. In an official statement, he said, “Throughout my governorship, I’ve directed my administration to adopt policies that make Illinois a welcoming state for immigrants, and I’m proud to sign these accountability measures into law to advance our cause. Every family, every child, every human being deserves to feel safe and secure in the place they call home.”
He added, “Let me be perfectly clear: the state of Illinois stands as a firewall against Donald Trump’s attacks on our immigrant communities. In the face of attempts to stoke fear, exploit division, and force families into the shadows, we are taking action.”
"*" indicates required fields
Likewise, the Office of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul banned state employees from assisting ICE. “This includes participating, supporting, or assisting in any capacity with federal immigration enforcement operations unless federal agents have a criminal warrant or federal law specifically requires it,” he clarified.
Justifying his absurd position, Raoul claimed, “ICE detainers are ‘requests’ and state and local authorities cannot be forced to comply with them. [The office] can’t ‘unilaterally override state law’ by forcing local police departments to honor ICE’s requests.”
Angered by this stance, Todd Lyons announced that he had “sent a letter to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul calling on him to put the safety of Americans first and honor ICE arrest detainers of the more than 4,000 criminal illegal aliens in the state’s custody including murderers, sexual predators, and those convicted of or charged with weapons offenses.”