WATCH: Illinois Republicans urge Democrats to stop supporting illegal immigration (via The Center Square) – Illinois Republican lawmakers are urging their colleagues to join them in “stopping” illegal immigration while suggesting Gov. J.B. Pritzker is “shifting his view” on the issue.
State Rep. Paul Jacobs, R-Pomona, introduced House Bill 1345 to repeal the Illinois TRUST act and end the state’s sanctuary status.
“I would personally love to take care of every person in the world, but my responsibility right now is the people of Illinois,” Jacobs said during a news conference in Springfield.
When asked about Pritzker’s rhetoric surrounding immigration changing amid an upcoming 2026 gubernatorial race, state Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Murrayville, said residents are starting to see the governor shift his views.
“[Pritzker] has proposed getting rid of the [Health Benefits For Immigrant Adults] programs,” said Davidsmeyer. “He has changed from supporting all illegal immigrants to possibly getting rid of criminal illegal immigrants, who have committed crimes here.”
Pritzker said in a CNN “State of the Union” interview, “To be clear, when it comes to violent criminals who are undocumented and convicted, we don’t want them in our state. We want them out of the country.”
Davidsmeyer is a co-sponsor of HB 1345, which is in the Rules committee awaiting assignment.
“In a truly horrific crime, two illegal immigrants allegedly tied up, tortured and killed a 63-year old man in the city of Chicago,” said Davidsmeyer. “And the first arrest made by ICE in Chicago, under the Trump administration, was a convicted sex offender and a child predator from Thailand.”
Davidsmeyer, Jacobs and state Rep. Mike Coffey, R-Springfield, introduced a package of bills that seek to repeal the TRUST Act, the state law that prohibits state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement in many cases.
Coffey filed House Bill 3241, which would give counties a choice to opt out of complying with the law.
Earlier this year, state Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, who is also a law enforcement officer, told The Center Square that once someone is a criminal, the TRUST Act is “thrown out the window,” and law enforcement is likely to cooperate with federal authorities seeking to deport criminals.
“The TRUST Act is, in my opinion, more on the lines of civil things and not criminal,” said Cabello.
From a fiscal standpoint, Davidsmeyer said the state’s sanctuary status has cost taxpayers billions.
“The state of Illinois provides better health care to illegal immigrants than most families in Illinois actually receive. In fact, under Governor Pritzker’s watch, the state has spent over $2.2 billion in taxpayer funds on health care benefits for those who are here illegally,” Davidsmeyer said. “The Auditor General recently released an audit of the HBIA, [Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors] programs, which are health care programs for illegal immigrants. That audit showed that the actual cost of the program was 286% higher than the Pritzker administration had estimated.”
Republicans estimate over $3 billion of Illinois taxpayer funds have been spent on services for illegal immigrants in Illinois.
WATCH: Illinois Republicans urge Democrats to stop supporting illegal immigration
