(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is already butting heads with the Trump administration about immigration and more.
Pritzker said he had heard reports of about 2,000 initial immigration enforcement actions coming, but said he’s heard nothing from the Trump administration as of Day 2 of the new presidency. Pritzker also said Trump’s actions against birthright citizenship are unconstitutional.
“We will not follow an unconstitutional executive order but we will follow the law in this state,” Pritzker said during an unrelated news conference Tuesday.
Monday, Trump said it’s “ridiculous” the U.S. allows people born in the country to noncitizen parents to become a citizen.
“We’re the only country in the world that does this with birthright as you know, and it’s just absolutely ridiculous,” Trump said while signing the order. “But, you know, we’ll see. We think that we have very good grounds. People have been wanting to do this for decades.”
Trump’s order impacts how the administration interprets the Fourteenth Amendment, excluding birthright citizenship to those who were born in the U.S., but to parents not “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”
“It is the policy of the United States that no department or agency of the United States government shall issue documents recognizing United States citizenship, or accept documents issued by State, local, or other governments or authorities purporting to recognize United States citizenship, to persons: (1) when that person’s mother was unlawfully present in the United States and the person’s father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth, or (2) when that person’s mother’s presence in the United States was lawful but temporary, and the person’s father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth,” the order reads.
Pritzker also criticized Trump’s plans to create the External Revenue Service to get tariffs owed by other countries.
“Guess who is going to pay for tariffs? So he is raising costs for people across this country, not lowering them,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker said consumers will have to pick up the tab for tariffs.
Trump said the plan is simple.
“If you don’t want tariffs all you have to do is build your plant in the U.S. and we’re going to have a lot of workers coming in,” Trump said amid signing various executive orders.
Trump also declared a national energy emergency. The order says “An affordable and reliable domestic supply of energy is a fundamental requirement for the national and economic security of any nation.” Trump has said he aims to drop energy prices by 50% within the first year, helping drive down the cost of overall consumer goods.
The actions were just a few of the dozens of executive orders and administrative moves Trump took on Day 1.
