(The Center Square) – A former Trump administration official set to speak to Republicans in Springfield Thursday says if Illinois doesn’t help with deportations of foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally if the former president gets elected again in November, then the state needs to “get out of the way.”
In Peoria last month, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker discussed Illinois’ status as a sanctuary state. While Pritzker wouldn’t call it that, he pointed to the TRUST Act enacted by his predecessor, Gov. Bruce Rauner, that restricts local and state police from enforcing immigration law.
“Getting pulled over because they’re speeding should not be a reason to now pull somebody out of their car, arrest them and send them to ICE at the federal level and be deported,” Pritzker said.
Former Immigration and Custom Enforcement Secretary Tom Homan said historic illegal immigration must be met with historic deportation. He promises if former President Donald Trump gets reelected, ICE will enforce deportation orders, regardless of Illinois’ law.
“So, hold on tight. If Illinois don’t want to help, then stay out of the way because we’re going to be there,” Homan told The Center Square.
Homan says before the end of Biden’s first term in office, there will be more than 12 million foreign nationals in the country he says crossed the southern U.S. border illegally.
Pritzker has said the migrants in Illinois and the United States are here legally, seeking asylum. Homan said that’s not true.
“The last 10 years, nearly nine of 10 people who claim asylum at our border never get relief in U.S. courts because they simply don’t qualify or they don’t show up to court,” he said.
With the flood of millions of migrants Homan said are crossing the border illegally, those seeking to migrate legally to the United States are pushed to the back of the line.
“For those who stand in line and take their test and do their background investigations and pay their fees, they’re being punished,” he said.
Homan said the porous border isn’t because of incompetence, it’s by design as President Joe Biden holds good to his campaign promise. He said it will bankrupt the country if it continues. Illinois taxpayers have already spent more than $1 billion on direct migrant care since Biden took office with more expected.
Homan will be the keynote speaker for the Sangamon County Republicans Lincoln Day Dinner Thursday evening in Springfield.
