Gov. JB Pritzker prepares to testify before Congress on Illinois' sanctuary laws
Gov. JB Pritzker will head to Washington, D.C., on Thursday to testify before Congress about Illinois' sanctuary laws protecting undocumented immigrants.
In April, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky) called on Pritzker, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to come before the committee.
Aides for Pritzker said he will defend the Illinois Trust Act, saying it's fully compliant with federal law.
"Despite the rhetoric of Republicans in Congress, this public safety law ensures law enforcement can focus on doing their jobs well while empowering all members of the public, regardless of immigration status, to feel comfortable calling police officers and emergency services if they are in need of help," Pritzker spokesman Alex Gough said last month after the governor agreed to testify at the hearing.
The law largely prohibits state, county, and local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in cases of civil immigration enforcement activities, but not in cases involving a criminal warrant or other court order.
In cases where an undocumented immigrant has been arrested, ICE officials might issue a detainer asking police to hold them for 48 hours until ICE agents can take them into federal custody, but the Illinois TRUST Act prohibits such cooperation, except in cases where the person faces a federal criminal arrest warrant.
Pritzker has said the legislation, which was signed into law by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2017, is meant to make all people living in the state comfortable to call police for help, regardless of their immigration status.
In March, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and fellow Democratic mayors from New York, Boston, and Denver, also testified before the committee on their cities' sanctuary city policies.
At that hearing, Johnson proudly defended Chicago's sanctuary city status, saying, "Nothing is more important to me than the safety and wellbeing of all residents."
Johnson and the other mayors defended their immigration policies, saying they have an obligation to protect everyone living in their cities, regardless of their immigration status.
