Gov. JB Pritzker testifies before Congress about Illinois sanctuary laws amid national immigration crackdown
Gov. JB Pritzker is in Washington, D.C., Thursday morning, to testify before Congress about Illinois' sanctuary laws protecting undocumented immigrants.
Pritzker's testimony will start at 9 a.m. CT.
Pritzker was called to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee by its Republican chairman Rep. Jamie Comer of Kentucky in April. He is joined Thursday by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Illinois' sanctuary state status is codified by the Illinois TRUST Act, which was signed into law by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2017.
"Illinois has been welcoming of immigrants for a long time, and this bill will continue that tradition," Gov. Rauner said in a press release at the time he signed the law. "It also makes clear that stopping violent crime will be law enforcement's mission rather than working on federal prerogatives that a federal court has found illegal."
Under the TRUST Act, state, county and local law enforcement is largely prohibited from stopping, arresting, searching, detaining or continue to detain a person solely due to immigration status. It requires Illinois law enforcement to obtain a warrant issued by a judge, naming the person in question.
In cases where an undocumented immigrant has been arrested, ICE officials might issue a detainer asking police to hold them for 48 hours until ICE agents can take them into federal custody, but the Illinois TRUST Act prohibits such cooperation, except in cases where the person faces a federal criminal arrest warrant.
Pritzker and his office have vocally defended the TRUST Act and Illinois' sanctuary policies, emphasizing they're compliant with federal law and operate in the name of public safety, so that undocumented immigrants can feel safe interacting with law enforcement and emergency services if they need help without fear of repercussions related solely to their immigration status.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has also testified before Congress this year about the city's sanctuary policies, proudly defending Chicago's sanctuary city status saying, "Nothing is more important to me than the safety and wellbeing of all residents."
Johnson was joined at that hearing by fellow Democratic mayors from New York, Boston and Denver.
The Trump Administration has notably stepped up immigration enforcement actions in recent weeks. Tactical ICE agent operations in Los Angeles sparked nearly a week of protests, which remain ongoing and for which the president called in the National Guard and U.S Marines. Trump has also ordered tactical ICE agents to be ready to deploy to Chicago.
Thousands of people attended an anti-ICE protest in the Loop Tuesday, and Chicago is an anchor city of the nationwide anti-Trump "No Kings" protest on Saturday.
How to Watch
What: Gov. JB Pritzker testimony on Illinois sanctuary laws for undocumented immigrants
When: June 12, 2025
Time: 9 a.m., CT
Where: House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Washington, D.C.
On TV: Live on CBS News Chicago
Online stream Live on CBS News Chicago's 24/7 stream in the player above or on your mobile or streaming device.
contributed to this report.
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