Candidate for IL governor Ted Dabrowski criticizes Pritzker during presser outside Broadview ICE facility

BROADVIEW, Ill. — Republican Gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski held a press conference Wednesday outside the ICE facility in Broadview

Dabrowski spoke on how, if elected, his first call of duty is to repeal sanctuary city status across Illinois.

“My top legislative priority will be to repeal the sanctuary state law and, in doing so, restore equal justice under the law in Illinois,” Dabrowski said.

He criticized Illinois Governor JB Pritzker numerous times, claiming the state should hand over alleged criminals to federal enforcement. 

The state does do that — if a criminal warrant is approved by a judge.

But Illinois law prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating based purely on immigration status.

Dabrowski was flanked by representatives from two families who say they lost loved ones at the hand of people in the country illegally. That includes Joey Abraham, whose daughter was killed in car crash earlier this year. 

“In January 2025, my daughter was in a vehicle with four other women. They were at a stoplight, and they were hit from the rear at an estimated 78 mph. Katie died on the scene. She got death, I have a life sentence and that’s my Illinois. That makes me very sad for our state,” said Abraham.

ICE has said its Operation Midway Blitz, targeting illegal immigration in the Chicago area, is being done in honor of Katie Abraham.

The person accused in Katie’s case has been identified as a Guatemalan citizen, who investigators say was living in the US under a false alias. 

He’s facing a string of charges.