Pritzker to testify before Congress, defend Illinois’ sanctuary laws

ILLINOIS (WTVO) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has agreed to testify before Congress on his state’s “sanctuary” laws shielding illegal immigrants from federal authorities.

Pritzker will join fellow Democrats, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and New York Mayor Kathy Hochul, before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The committee’s chairman, Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), announced Pritzker’s appearance on Tuesday.

“The Trump Administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal illegal aliens from our nation but reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement. The governors of these states must explain why they are prioritizing the protection of criminal illegal aliens over the safety of U.S. citizens, and they must be held accountable,” Comer

said.

According to Pritzker’s office, the Governor will attend the June 12 hearing “to discuss his track record on public safety and the implementation of bipartisan state laws.”

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Illinois, alleging the state and the city of Chicago interfere with federal immigration enforcement by violating the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Illinois prevents local authorities from cooperating with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) by way of the TRUST Act, the Way Forward Act, the Welcoming City Act, and a Cook County ordinance.

Illinois Republicans in the state Senate have introduced legislation that would repeal the Trust Act. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Office said the TRUST Act’s purpose is to build trust between law enforcement and migrants residing in Illinois.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson defended his city’s “sanctuary city” policies before the committee in March. Those policies partially contributed to Johnson’s 80% disapproval rating in a February poll.