Pritzker to defend Illinois sanctuary policies before GOP lawmakers
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is gearing up to defend his state’s controversial sanctuary status before GOP lawmakers during a Thursday hearing. In his prepared remarks obtained by Fox News Digital, Pritzker will argue that Illinois had to step in to fill the void left by the federal government in dealing with the border crisis. He will condemn certain border state governors and mayors for treating immigrants as “pawns” and not upholding the nation’s ideals.
Pritzker will specifically call out Republican Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida for busing illegal immigrants to predominantly liberal cities and states in the north, which he views as political stunts that worsened the problem. He will stress that Illinois’ resources were stretched thin due to a lack of federal support from both parties during the crisis.
The Democratic governor will highlight Illinois’ efforts to assist immigrants by processing new arrivals, providing temporary shelter and permanent housing, and enabling them to contribute to the economy. Despite the strain on resources, Pritzker will emphasize that his administration has continued to focus on public safety by investing in law enforcement, resulting in a decrease in violent crime.
Pritzker will express zero tolerance for violent criminals, regardless of their immigration status, and affirm that Illinois law allows government employees to cooperate with federal immigration officers executing criminal warrants. While federal officials are welcome to operate in the state, Pritzker will make it clear that Illinois will not divert limited resources unless it is in the state’s best interest.
Drawing on his family’s history of fleeing persecution in Ukraine, Pritzker will appeal to Congress to reform the broken immigration system so that law-abiding immigrant families can have the same opportunities his family had. He will stress that immigration reform can be achieved without compromising border security.
Governor Pritzker will be accompanied by Governors Tim Walz of Minnesota and Kathy Hochul of New York at the hearing titled “A Hearing with Sanctuary State Governors” before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform at 10 a.m. EST. Fox News’ Paul Steinheiser contributed to this report.
Bradford Betz, a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime and political issues, provided additional reporting for this article.
