Large signs could be seen on the gates to the Illinois Governor's Mansion in Springfield Wednesday as U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited.
"Due process for all," numerous signs situated along the property read, referencing criticism that the Trump Administration's current immigration policies are pushing, if not violating, constitutional limits.
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Noem had traveled to Illinois Wednesday for a press conference aimed at 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.”
The DHS secretary was scheduled to speak in front of the Governor’s Mansion, but instead moved her news conference near the scene of Emma Shafer's murder, a move Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said was to avoid demonstrations protesting Noem's visit.
Schafer was a 24-year-old community organizer who was fatally stabbed in her Springfield apartment in July 2023. The suspected killer, Gabriel P. Calixto, remains at large. Noem said he was in the U.S. illegally at the time of the crime. Springfield police and the U.S. Marshals Service said they are cooperating on the case.
Shafer's parents did not attend Noem's news conference and instead were blocks away protesting her visit.
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During her address, Noem blasted Illinois' sanctuary state policies and Gov. J.B. Pritzker's leadership.
Pritzker's office responded immediately, calling the visit a "Trump-Noem publicity stunt."
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SIGN UP "Since 2017, Illinois has been a sanctuary state. The results have been absolutely disastrous for people who live here," Noem said during a news conference in Springfield.
Noem stood next to public officials and what she called "angel families" -- families she said had loved ones impacted by crimes committed by people who are in the country illegally. NBC Chicago has not been able to independently confirm their stories.
Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, has branded herself as a top messenger for President Donald Trump. The president nominated her to lead DHS in November, and she was confirmed in January.
"Now that we've given the American people the safest and most secure border in American history, we have to double down at removing dangerous criminals. President Trump has been focused on making sure that we're going after the worst of the worst," Noem said.
Pritzker released a statement after the news conference saying he wants Noem to "spend less time performing for Fox News and more time protecting the Homeland."
Noem's visit comes a day after Pritzker announced he will voluntarily head to Washington D.C. in June to testify before a Republican-led Congressional committee about Illinois' immigration policies. Illinois is considered a sanctuary state due to a law in enacted in 2017 called the TRUST Act, signed by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. The law limits local law enforcement's ability to cooperate with federal immigration officials. In 2021, Pritzker signed legislation into law that expanded the TRUST Act.
"This governor has bragged about Illinois being a firewall against President Trump's immigration enforcement agenda, and it is very clear that he has violating the Constitution of the United States because it is a federal law that the federal government and the president set and enforce immigration policies," Noem said.
The governor's office has repeatedly said the TRUST Act is compliant with federal law.
“Unlike Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, Illinois follows the law," Pritzker said in a statement. "The Trump Administration is violating the United States Constitution, denying people due process, and disappearing law-abiding neighbors – including children who are U.S. citizens. Yet, they are taking no real action to promote public safety and deport violent criminals within the clear and defined legal process."
Pritzker is positioning himself as a top Democratic mouthpiece against Trump. During a recent speech in New Hampshire, he used fiery language that revved up the crowd but also sparked criticism.
“Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption. But, I am now. These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace," Pritkzer said on April 27.
Noem responded to Pritkzer's words during her news conference in Springfield.
"Shame on him for standing up the other day and saying, 'Republicans should never know a moment of peace.' This country is desperate for peace," Noem said.
