Paul Vallas, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, said a bill by State Sen. Laura Fine barring ICE agents from serving as police in Illinois continues Democratic efforts to limit federal immigration enforcement and raises public safety concerns.
“JB Pritzker signing “The Clean Act” into law makes sense. The new law seals “non-violent” criminal records to remove obstacles for former criminals with minor criminal histories to reenter the workforce,” said Vallas. “Will this same good sense prevail elsewhere? It’s unlikely if congressional candidate, and State Sen. Laura Fine, D-Glenview, has her way. After supporting the Clean Act, Fine announced that she is introducing legislation to ban ICE agents from becoming cops anywhere in Illinois. This is irresponsible and just a continuation of the Democrats political demonization of federal immigration enforcement.”
According to Vallas, who posted on social media platform X on January 18, 2026, his comments came after Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Clean Act. This act seeks to seal nonviolent criminal records to facilitate workforce reentry for individuals with minor criminal histories. In his post, Vallas questioned whether Democratic leaders would oppose Fine’s bill, describing it as unconstitutional and unfair.
In McHenry County, Illinois, the implementation of the SAFE-T Act has led to a significant increase in crimes committed by individuals on pre-trial release compared to those on cash bail. Reports indicate a 30% rise in such crimes and a 280% increase in failure-to-appear rates. Despite its intention to reduce pretrial detention, the act has resulted in an increased jail population, highlighting challenges within state criminal justice reforms.
Data from the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) shows that illegal aliens are incarcerated at rates up to three times higher than U.S. citizens and lawful immigrants in some states. In fiscal year 2023 alone, over 30,000 criminal aliens were reimbursed under SCAAP for convictions involving serious offenses like assault and drug trafficking. This data suggests a disproportionate involvement of illegal immigrants in crime nationwide.
Vallas served as CEO of Chicago Public Schools from 1995 to 2001 and implemented various reforms aimed at improving financial management and educational outcomes. His career also includes leadership roles in school districts across Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Bridgeport. Additionally, he has pursued political office multiple times, including runs for Illinois governor in 2002 and Chicago mayoral races in both 2019 and 2023.
