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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at the office of The Center for American Progress (CAP) Action Fund in Washington on March 18, 2025. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to hold a public conference on Friday during her visit to his state, as he accused federal agents of spreading fear and violating rights during immigration enforcement operations.
“Federal agents reporting to Secretary Noem have spent weeks snatching up families, scaring law-abiding residents, violating due process rights, and even detaining U.S. citizens. They fail to focus on violent criminals and instead create panic in our communities,” he said.
“Illinois is not a photo opportunity or warzone, it’s a sovereign state where our people deserve rights, respect, and answers.”
The governor’s office characterized Noem’s previous visit as sneaking “in during the early morning to film social media videos and [fleeing] before sunrise.” Pritzker said the secretary should face questions from reporters while in the state.
The Illinois State Police said in a statement that state and local officials set up a temporary unified command in Broadview—near Chicago—at the request of local authorities.
Agencies at the time said they would neither assist nor obstruct federal immigration enforcement and that their focus would be on safety and access for attorneys, consulates, and others.
Pritzker’s office claimed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was detaining U.S. citizens, ransacking homes, using chemical agents on local reporters, and bringing cameras and celebrities to enforcement operations.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE did not respond before publication to an Epoch Times request for comment on the allegations.
Pritzker has also said DHS asked the Pentagon to deploy about 100 troops to Illinois to protect ICE personnel and facilities, and the Pentagon confirmed it received a request.
According to DHS, Operation Midway Blitz, launched on Sept. 8, has resulted in more than 800 arrests in Illinois. The department described the effort as targeting criminal offenders, citing cases that include convictions for sexual offenses and gang ties. It says it started the operation in honor of a 20-year-old Illinois woman killed in a drunk-driving hit-and-run involving an illegal immigrant.
Federal officials link the arrests to unrest at the Broadview site and also as a broader response to violence against ICE officers, including a terror attack at ICE’s Dallas facility. DHS said demonstrators in Broadview vandalized property and arrived with protective gear; the agency has also reported assaults on officers, the seizure of firearms, and an investigation into what appeared to be an explosive device near an ICE facility.
Illinois Democrats sent a letter on Sept. 23 urging DHS to end the Illinois operations, alleging that agents have made arrests near homes, schools, and bus stops and are not focused on “the worst of the worst.”
DHS has said that more than 2 million illegal immigrants have been removed or self-deported since Jan. 20 and that stepped-up enforcement is taking criminals off the streets.
The governor’s office said it wants federal agencies to focus on violent offenders and to brief the public on how decisions are being made in Chicago and across the state.
Chase is an award-winning journalist. He covers national politics for The Epoch Times. For news tips, send Chase an email at [email protected] or connect with him on X.
