Dan Proft, host of Chicago’s Morning Answer for AM 560 The Answer, said Illinois’ sanctuary laws bar citizenship checks in arrests, blocking crime data on immigrants unlike Tennessee, hiding harm to residents and families.
“There is no such report for Illinois because, under the state’s sanctuary law, law enforcement is prohibited from inquiring about or investigating the citizenship or immigration status of anyone they arrest,” said Daniel K Proft, Host of Chicago’s Morning Answer. “Golly gee, why would JB, BJ & Co., abhor such record-keeping. With almost 2x the population of TN and an estimated illegal immigrant population of 550K in IL, how many thousands of victims and their families could’ve been spared the trauma they’ve suffered.”
The statement was made in an X post by Proft, referencing a report from a Tennessee legislator on crimes committed by illegal immigrants. The post highlighted Illinois’ restrictions on citizenship inquiries during arrests and estimated potential victim numbers based on population differences.
According to the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, there were 21,648 criminal charges against illegal immigrants in 2025, including 2,183 violent offenses and 41 homicides. The data encompassed various offenses such as assaults, sexual offenses, DUIs (Driving Under the Influence), and driving without licenses across the state. Local law enforcement agencies submitted forms detailing arrests where citizenship status was either not lawfully present or unknown.
In contrast, Illinois released 1,768 illegal immigrants with criminal records in 2025 despite Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers. These individuals had convictions for serious crimes including homicide, assault, and sexual offenses. The Department of Homeland Security has warned that sanctuary policies like these pose risks to public safety by allowing individuals charged with burglary, robbery, and weapons crimes to be freed. Additionally, over 4,000 more criminal illegal immigrants remain in custody amid ongoing enforcement efforts.
Nationwide statistics from the U.S. Border Patrol indicate that in fiscal year 2024 there were 17,048 arrests of criminal aliens. Of these arrests, 10,935 were for illegal entry or re-entry into the United States and 1,566 were related to drug possession or trafficking. Other arrests included 1,084 for assault or domestic violence and 232 for illegal weapons offenses. These figures reflect enforcement actions conducted both at borders and within the country’s interior.
Proft was born in Oak Park, Illinois. According to his Wikipedia page, he graduated from Northwestern University before earning a law degree from Loyola University Chicago. In addition to his role as a radio show host and political campaign manager—having run as a Republican candidate for Illinois governor in 2010—he serves on boards for organizations supporting individuals with disabilities.
