Prairie State Wire

Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, said that Governor J.B. Pritzker's sanctuary policies hinder local law enforcement from sharing information with federal authorities, which she argues allows dangerous individuals to remain at large and compromise public safety. Noem made this statement during a press conference.

"I'm calling on Governor Pritzker and all the other leaders of this state to abandon their dangerous sanctuary policies," said Kristi L Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, according to YouTube. "People who support sanctuary policies talk about love and compassion. Well, where's the compassion for the families that stand behind me?"

On May 7, according to the New York Post, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined Angel families near the Illinois governor’s mansion in Springfield to criticize the state’s sanctuary policies. Standing alongside families who had lost loved ones to crimes committed by illegal migrants, Noem urged Pritzker to "abandon" what she described as a "dangerous" approach.

Noem's May 7 Springfield Press Conference | U.S. Department of Homeland Security YouTube

During an appearance on "Fox & Friends," Tom Homan criticized Chicago officials, including Governor Pritzker, for their refusal to collaborate with federal authorities in removing dangerous criminals from the streets. The New York Post reported Homan saying, "He continues to lie about sanctuary city status in the state, in Chicago especially." He added that after President Trump took office, they arrested several gang members and illegal aliens convicted of murder in Chicago.

An Angel family member whose loved one was killed by an illegal migrant called on Governor Pritzker to adhere to federal laws and deport all illegal migrants. They said, "I just call on Governor Pritzker to be a true governor and stand by the federal laws and deport every one of them." Emma Shafer was killed by Gabriel Calixto Pichardo, an illegal migrant wanted on multiple charges.

Cook County, which includes Chicago, has adopted a "sanctuary" status policy that limits cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), particularly by refusing ICE detainers for individuals arrested locally. According to Fox News, ICE said that such policies endanger both federal agents and communities. The Department of Justice has filed legal actions against Pritzker and other officials for not honoring ICE detainers.

Before her role at DHS, Noem served as South Dakota's 33rd governor and was its first female governor as well as its sole representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.