Pritzker Vows to ‘Stand in the Way’ of Excessive Deportation Efforts
The Democratic governor who established a Holocaust museum has also voiced criticism of Trump adviser Elon Musk for his recent actions.
TroibNews 
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker expressed strong disapproval of the Trump administration's deportation initiatives and dismissed a White House directive warning that elected officials who do not comply could face prosecution.
“They want people to step back and let them do whatever they want to do,” Pritzker said in a Sunday interview on CNN.
During his appearance on "State of the Union," Pritzker affirmed that Illinois would "stand in the way" of federal efforts that contravene state law. On the subject of violent offenders, he stated, "We don't want them in our state. We want them out of the country. We hope they do get deported, and if that's who they're picking up, we're all for it."
Pritzker expressed concern regarding the administration's focus on “law-abiding” individuals who contribute to society, saying, “What I find quite disturbing is they're going after people who are law-abiding, who are holding down jobs, who have families here, who may have been here for a decade or two decades, and they're often our neighbors and our friends.”
He indicated that while Illinois would comply with arrest warrants and proper legal documents, the state's Trust Act prevents local and state law enforcement from cooperating with federal officers in immigration and deportation cases. “We have a law on the books in Illinois that says that our local law enforcement will stand up for those law-abiding, undocumented people in our states who are doing the right thing, and we're not going to help federal officials just drag them away just because” someone thinks they could be in the country illegally, he added.
In the same interview, Pritzker urged Trump to publicly disavow Elon Musk’s associations with far-right ideologies, referencing a gesture Musk made at the inauguration that some interpreted as a “sieg heil” salute. “At a moment when anti-semitism is at an all time high in my lifetime, we have a very prominent figure who is very closely associated with the president standing up at a presidential rally and giving two Nazi salutes in a row,” Pritzker stated. “If he didn’t mean it, he should apologize.”
Highlighting his commitment to combating anti-Semitism, Pritzker, a founder of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, criticized Musk for making “jokes” about Nazis on social media following the inauguration and for engaging with far-right figures known for their extreme anti-Semitic views in Germany. “Trump ought to be calling that out,” he concluded.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
“They want people to step back and let them do whatever they want to do,” Pritzker said in a Sunday interview on CNN.
During his appearance on "State of the Union," Pritzker affirmed that Illinois would "stand in the way" of federal efforts that contravene state law. On the subject of violent offenders, he stated, "We don't want them in our state. We want them out of the country. We hope they do get deported, and if that's who they're picking up, we're all for it."
Pritzker expressed concern regarding the administration's focus on “law-abiding” individuals who contribute to society, saying, “What I find quite disturbing is they're going after people who are law-abiding, who are holding down jobs, who have families here, who may have been here for a decade or two decades, and they're often our neighbors and our friends.”
He indicated that while Illinois would comply with arrest warrants and proper legal documents, the state's Trust Act prevents local and state law enforcement from cooperating with federal officers in immigration and deportation cases. “We have a law on the books in Illinois that says that our local law enforcement will stand up for those law-abiding, undocumented people in our states who are doing the right thing, and we're not going to help federal officials just drag them away just because” someone thinks they could be in the country illegally, he added.
In the same interview, Pritzker urged Trump to publicly disavow Elon Musk’s associations with far-right ideologies, referencing a gesture Musk made at the inauguration that some interpreted as a “sieg heil” salute. “At a moment when anti-semitism is at an all time high in my lifetime, we have a very prominent figure who is very closely associated with the president standing up at a presidential rally and giving two Nazi salutes in a row,” Pritzker stated. “If he didn’t mean it, he should apologize.”
Highlighting his commitment to combating anti-Semitism, Pritzker, a founder of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, criticized Musk for making “jokes” about Nazis on social media following the inauguration and for engaging with far-right figures known for their extreme anti-Semitic views in Germany. “Trump ought to be calling that out,” he concluded.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
