‘Do her damn job': Illinois Sec. of State criticizes Kristi Noem ahead of Springfield visit

Ahead of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's visit to Springfield Wednesday -- the same day Real ID requirements begin at U.S. airports -- Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias had some harsh words to share.

While her visit was not expected to focus on the big change for travelers, Giannoulias issued a statement, saying Noem's messaging around Real ID sparked "pure panic among residents."

“For months, Secretary Noem has been calling the May 7 date a 'deadline,' implying that Americans must have a 'REAL ID' or they cannot board any U.S.-based flights without a valid passport, which has sent people scrambling to get one ahead of [Wednesday],” Giannoulias said. “For the past several months, this has resulted in long lines, frustration and – in many cases – pure panic among residents.”

“Instead of flying across the country to perform campaign-style political stunts designed to traumatize people and promote herself, she should do her damn job," Giannoulias' statement read.

Noem had previously told a congressional panel that security checkpoints would also accept passports and tribal identification when the deadline hit Wednesday. Those who still lack an identification that complies with the REAL ID law “may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step,” she said.

“But people will be allowed to fly,” she said. “We will make sure it’s as seamless as possible.”

Giannoulias argued, however, the messaging around Real ID in the lead-up to Wednesday's requirement used fear to get Americans to comply.

"[Noem has] weaponized the Real ID system - which was meant, by the way, to make us a safer country, allegedly - she's weaponized it to instill fear and heartache and pain and agony across the state of Illinois and across the country," he said.

Noem was expected to hold a press conference during her Illinois visit Wednesday, with her office saying the availability will highlight Illinois’ “sanctuary” policies. Noem and other officials in President Donald Trump’s administration have argued such laws “shield illegal aliens responsible (for crimes) from facing consequences.”

Her visit also sparked a sarcastic response from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's office.

Pritzker’s office released its own itinerary of Noem’s visit to Springfield, mixing in critical comments about several controversies involving the secretary.

In 2024, Noem wrote about her decision to kill a dog that she called “untrainable and dangerous” in her memoir “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong With Politics and How We Move America Forward.”

“It was not a pleasant job, but it had to be done,” she wrote as she described taking the dog to a gravel pit and shooting it, according to the BBC.

Pritzker’s office mentioned the controversy in a sarcastic note at the end of a press release.

“We would urge all pet owners in the region to make sure all of your beloved animals are under watchful protection while the secretary is in the region,” the note said.

Pritzker’s office also said Noem is “not expected to address the parts of the Constitution that guarantee the right to due process,” and also emphasized that the Illinois TRUST Act empowers law enforcement to detain and turn over “violent criminals without documentation” while protecting the rights of the state’s residents.

Noem’s visit comes shortly after Pritzker voluntarily agreed to appear before a Congressional committee aimed at evaluating the impact of such “sanctuary” policies, which limit how local law enforcement can coordinate with federal immigration enforcement efforts.

“The Illinois Trust Act – which was bipartisan and signed into law by a Republican – is fully compliant with federal law,” a Pritzker spokesperson said in a statement after he accepted the invitation to appear.

Still, Republicans, including Noem and Trump, have argued that the laws circumvent federal law and that Democratic lawmakers should be held accountable.