Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) suggested that federal immigration agents involved in a Chicago arrest operation might one day face prosecution under a future Democratic administration—a remark that has deepened tensions between state and federal authorities.
Speaking in a video shared on X, Pritzker declared that “the tables will turn someday,” warning that some agents could face charges “after the Trump administration for the things that they did because the statute of limitations won’t have run.”
He accused immigration authorities of abandoning lawful conduct, saying they were “acting like a bunch of thugs and taking away people’s free speech rights.”
The governor also denounced what he described as aggressive enforcement methods used during recent operations in the Chicago area.
“They’re taking away people’s rights, you know, by not identifying themselves; they’re coming in with masks on. They’re coming in with unidentified vehicles,” Pritzker said.
He urged federal inspectors general to examine the agents’ behavior despite existing immunity protections under federal law.
Pritzker’s comments followed a series of arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents that have stirred backlash among Illinois Democrats.
The enforcement actions, part of a wider immigration crackdown, were criticized by state leaders who claim federal agents are operating without proper oversight or transparency.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) swiftly condemned Pritzker’s remarks.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called his accusations “disgusting” and said they amounted to an attack on law enforcement officers performing their duties.
“Gov. Pritzker threatening to prosecute law enforcement for enforcing the law and arresting murderers, pedophiles, rapists, drug traffickers, and gang members is disgusting,” she said, according to The Western Journal. “He’s smeared our law enforcement calling them thugs, but to millions of Americans—including those victimized by criminal illegal aliens—they are heroes.”
DHS officials warned that such rhetoric could endanger agents already facing mounting threats in the field.
The department revealed it had obtained “credible intelligence indicating that Mexican criminals, in coordination with domestic extremist groups have placed targeted bounties” on federal immigration personnel.
According to the agency, criminal networks have issued “explicit instructions to U.S.-based sympathetics, including street gangs in Chicago, to monitor, harass, and assassinate federal agents.”
“These criminal networks are not just resisting the rule of law, they are waging an organized campaign of terror against the brave men and women who protect our borders and communities,” the department said, adding that agents have been subjected to ambushes, drone surveillance and death threats.
DHS described the situation as a deliberate campaign to intimidate and disrupt immigration enforcement nationwide.
The governor’s remarks come at a volatile moment in the immigration debate, with tensions escalating between state officials seeking greater autonomy and federal authorities enforcing national policy.
Pritzker’s stance underscores the growing friction between Democratic leaders in blue states and federal agencies operating under President Trump’s administration.
As public concern over violent crime and border security remains high, the dispute highlights the broader struggle between state accountability and federal authority—and the growing risks faced by law enforcement tasked with enforcing immigration law.
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