WASHINGTON (WLS) — Gov. JB Pritzker is preparing to answer challenging inquiries regarding Illinois’ sanctuary law from a congressional committee led by Republicans this Thursday.
Pritzker’s remarks are scheduled amidst increased immigration enforcement actions by the Trump administration, which have sparked notable opposition in Chicago and other areas.
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Pritzker has been in Washington since Sunday.
Three months ago, Mayor Brandon Johnson testified before the same committee investigating sanctuary cities.
The governor’s congressional testimony coincides with recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Chicago and escalating disputes over immigration enforcement, which may increase the tension of the hearing, as Pritzker mentioned last week.
The hearing is expected to begin at 9 a.m. CT and last most of the day.
ABC7 Chicago Political Analyst Laura Washington spoke on Thursday morning on what to expect from the Congress hearing.
In more than five pages of written testimony submitted by the governor to the U.S. House Oversight Committee ahead of hours of questions from lawmakers, Pritzker detailed how Illinois responded to the migrant crisis and the rationale for Illinois’ “sanctuary state” law.
“We can have a secure border while also having real immigration pathways that allow people to come here, work, and support themselves on a reasonable timeline,” Pritzker wrote. “Our prosperity and our national security demand it.”
At the center of Thursday’s hearing is Illinois’ TRUST Act – the 2017 law signed by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner that prohibits Illinois law enforcement from detaining a person based solely on their immigration status. Pritzker wrote in his testimony that this law does not interfere with federal immigration laws.
“Illinois follows federal and state laws and will continue to do so,” Pritzker wrote. “We expect the federal government to do the same. Federal officials should operate in Illinois, as they do in every state, to enforce federal immigration policy, but we will not divert our limited resources and officers to do the job of the federal government when it is not in the best interest of our state.”
Pritzker’s written testimony also sought to push back on allegations that sanctuary polices have made Chicago and Illinois more dangerous. The governor detailed his administration’s investments in policing and gun violence prevention, particularly as Illinois dealt with an influx of migrants.
Ahead of the hearing, the state of Illinois retained outside counsel to provide expertise in order to respond to the committee’s requests, the spokesperson said, claiming that “congressional Republicans are wasting taxpayer dollars all to find out that Illinois has always followed the law.”
Tim Walz of Minnesota and Kathy Hochul of New York will also appear at the U.S. Capitol for a closely watched hearing that comes as another Democratic-led state — California — is grappling with a slew of immigration-related protests that triggered President Donald Trump to deploy U.S. Marines and the National Guard to the area.
House Oversight Chair James Comer requested in April that these Democratic governors testify, claiming that the “Trump administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal illegal aliens from our nation, but reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement.”
ABC News contributed to this report.
Capitol News Illinois’ Ben Szalinski contributed to this report.
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