Former Chicago Bears safety Charles “Peanut” Tillman says he left the FBI over a disagreement with President Trump’s immigration policies.
In a recent edition of ESPN host Ryan Clark’s podcast, The Pivot, Tillman shared that he initially believed the Bureau’s focus would be on capturing violent criminals who were illegal aliens or felons.
However, he says that’s not what actually happened.
Tillman expressed his disagreement with certain actions, particularly concerning immigration. He said, “I didn’t agree with how the administration required individuals to act against their beliefs. It didn’t feel right to me.
“For example, with immigration, the message was that we would target the most dangerous criminals. However, what was shown on TV and what actually occurred didn’t reflect that. This discrepancy troubled me; it conflicted with my conscience. Fortunately, you have the option to reject an order.”
At 44, Tillman mentioned that his earnings in the NFL provided him the financial freedom to depart from the FBI after eight years. He also pointed out that the policies regarding immigration enforcement originated from Washington, D.C., rather than the Chicago office.
‘‘I want to be on the right side of history when it’s all said and done,’’ he said.
Tillman grew up in an Army family and had considered a career in the military. Instead, he vowed to serve the public once his NFL career was over.
The former Bear played 12 of his 13 years in Chicago. During his long career, he accumulated 38 interceptions, three sacks, and 930 tackles.
