Prairie State Wire

David E. Smith, Executive Director of the Illinois Family Institute, said the surge in crime in Illinois and other states is due to the Biden-Harris administration's deliberate failure to secure the nation's borders. 

Smith contends that the current administration's executive actions have opened the borders to an influx of illegal immigrants, leading to a dramatic increase in criminal activities. 

"When Joe Biden's administration took power, he immediately signed off on a number of executive orders that opened our borders, and the invasion of illegal immigrants exploded," Smith told Prairie State Wire. "For more than three years, throngs of people, many of them criminals, have been pouring into our country. Many of them settled in Illinois."

Smith's remarks reflect growing concerns among some Illinois residents about rising crime rates in their communities. He argues that undocumented immigrants are significantly contributing to the crime wave. 

"An overwhelming percentage of crime in our big cities—like assault and robbery and domestic violence—are being committed by 'undocumented' immigrants," Smith said. "Chicago residents have every right to be upset with the increase in crime. They are right to be upset with the current administration’s failure to do its primary job of securing the border and protecting citizens from foreign invaders."

Smith alleges that the immigration crisis is being used as a strategy to expand government control. 

"The evidence strongly suggests that this was part of a deliberate strategy to create a crisis, let it fester and then when the outcry crescendos, pass legislation to expand government authority to ‘solve’ the problem that they created in the first place," Smith said. "Of course, this will be done by spending more taxpayer money."

Smith is particularly concerned about the implications of increased government intervention. 

"When people are worried about their communities or their building being taken over by armed gangs, what do they do? They turn to the government," he said. "The solution is always and everywhere more government, bigger government, stronger government, more taxes, less freedom."

He further criticized what he perceives as a deliberate attempt to undermine national sovereignty. 

"They knew that by stoking this crisis people will get upset, and they will propose big government (tyrannical) policies that we never would've accepted otherwise, like federal digital IDs," Smith said. "There is also an intentional effort by some one-world liberals who want to undermine the concept of a nation state—no borders."

Smith advocates for a more stringent approach to immigration enforcement and greater state autonomy.

"Simple: enforce the current immigration laws rigorously! We should also empower states to take care of themselves," he said.

Smith also pointed to sanctuary cities and states, which he believes encourage illegal immigration and misuse taxpayer resources. 

"Sanctuary cities/states not only encourage illegal immigrants to settle in ‘friendly’ territories, they offer them a place of refuge and, often taxpayer resources in the way of medical aid, food stamps and housing assistance," he said.

The TRUST Act of 2017 transformed Illinois into a sanctuary state, shielding undocumented immigrants from federal immigration enforcement. 

This policy has sparked significant controversy. 

Now, with over nearly 700,000 undocumented residents in the state that costs taxpayers billions of dollars annually. 

Meanwhile crimes linked to organized crime activity oftentimes linked to foreign drug cartels in the state, such as human trafficking and drug dealing, have risen dramatically.

The increase in gang violence in Illinois and elsewhere has intensified debate over the implications of sanctuary city and state policies, which are designed to limit local law enforcement's cooperation with federal immigration authorities. 

Critics argue that such policies facilitate the movement and activities of dangerous criminals.  Smith also addressed the issue of human and child trafficking, which he claims has been exacerbated by current immigration policies. 

"What about the crisis of human and child trafficking? That is a huge, huge problem," Smith said. "The U.S. government is unwittingly giving women and children to pimps to pimp them out. So we have criminal activity across the board and in our local neighborhoods. We've got ignorant advocates of sanctuary cities providing perverse incentives to these criminal elements. As a result, more and more hardworking families will be victimized."

A new report from Shared Hope International has given Illinois an "F" for its handling of child sex and human trafficking, despite some state improvements. The report highlighted a major disparity, with only 10% of prostitution arrests targeting traffickers or buyers. Although Illinois has allocated $115 million for gender-based violence, less than 1% is dedicated to specialized services for trafficking victims. According to ABC 7 Chicago, Brenda Myers Powell, a trafficking survivor, criticized the state for inadequate resources and support for victims, noting that many end up in jail rather than receiving help. 

Recent 911 calls in Chicago have sparked a flurry of controversy and concern after reports emerged of alleged gang members from the Tren de Aragua, a notorious Venezuelan criminal organization, seizing control of an apartment building on South King Drive. 

The reports have been similar to those coming out of Aurora, Colo. where heavily armed illegal alien gunmen were seen stalking the grounds of an apartment complex.  

NBC Chicago reported that Tren de Aragua indeed has a presence in Chicago and Illinois more broadly. 

The situation was exacerbated by a threatening video posted by a TikTok user who identified himself as a member of a native Chicagoan street gang. In his video, the man warned of imminent violence, stating, “This ain’t Colorado. This is just like where you’re from. The only difference is… we got switches.”

A “switch” is the street name for a device that converts a semi-automatic firearm into an automatic weapon.

The incident also draws attention to a troubling case involving Jean Torres-Roman, a known Tren de Aragua member who was recently arrested in connection with a violent jewelry store heist in Denver. 

Torres-Roman was initially detained in Chicago for illegal weapon possession but was released by a local judge despite a request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to keep him in custody. 

Torres-Roman fled to New Mexico after the Denver robbery where he was arrested. 

Smith's organization, IFI, which has been working to advance public policy in line with Judeo-Christian values for nearly two decades. The IFI supports initiatives aimed at promoting Biblical truths and supporting families.