One month after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson testified before a Congressional committee in Washington D.C., Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has also been asked to appear on Capitol Hill.
The GOP-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has asked Pritzker to appear at a hearing on May 15, along with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
U.S. Rep. James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, called on the governors to testify Pritzker to testify on “sanctuary city” and immigration policies, similar to the hearing where Johnson testified in March.
"Harboring aliens is a federal crime. Sanctuary policies championed by these governors jeopardize the safety of Americans and defy U.S. immigration laws," Comer said in a statement posted on the social media platform X.
The announcement from Comer, who chairs the oversight committee, comes the same day as President Donald Trump announced he plans to withhold all federal funding from sanctuary cities and states.
Illinois is considered a sanctuary state due to a law in enacted in 2017 called the TRUST Act, which limits local law enforcement's ability to cooperate with federal immigration officials.
Chicago Politics
In 2021, Pritzker signed legislation into law that expanded the TRUST Act. A spokesperson for Pritzker told NBC 5 Chicago in a statement:
"Let’s call this what this is: another partisan dog and pony show. Illinois’ Trust Act – which was signed into law by a Republican – is fully compliant with federal law and ensures law enforcement can focus on doing their actual jobs while empowering all members of the public – regardless of immigration status – to feel comfortable calling law enforcement to seek help, report crimes, and cooperate in investigations. We are reviewing the request for documentation and the Governor is evaluating whether he should take time from his busy schedule serving the people of Illinois to educate the House GOP on these matters."
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