Free Republic

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has vowed to prosecute Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in a post-Trump era. Pritzker made the comments during an interview with FOX 32 Chicago this week as ICE agents step up their efforts across the city of Chicago. “The tables will turn one day,” Prtizker explained. ”These people should recognize that maybe they’re not gonna get prosecuted today, although we’re looking at doing that, but they may get prosecuted after the Trump administration because the statute of limitations would not have run out.” The 60-year-old added that he had spoken with Illinois Attorney General Kwame...

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has once again joined a coalition of other attorneys general in suing the Trump administration over new rules that could bar immigrants without legal status from health and education programs. The suit, announced Monday, seeks to stop a series of orders from federal agencies that would block people from the early childhood education program Head Start, Title X family planning, adult education, mental health care and community health centers based on immigration status.

Gov. JB Pritzker has officially signed the Illinois "Squatter Bill" into law on Monday. The law will make it easier for police to remove squatters from someone's home, bypassing a possibly months-long eviction process Previously, squatters were allowed to stay at the property during the court process to get them out. The law differentiates squatters from tenants, making it easier for property owners to regain control of their home. "This outdated eviction law has treated squatters the same as tenants, leaving property owners in limbo and tying the hands of law enforcement," Pritzker said.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul (D) said Monday on CNN’s “Newsroom” that television personality Dr. Phil McGraw’s involvement in the Trump administration deportation raids was “inappropriate.” Host Jim Acosta said, “What is the reaction that you’re hearing from the community right now? Are you hearing about, heavy handed tactics, U.S. citizens being picked up accidentally?” Raoul said, “Well, unfortunately, this shock and awe approach, which involves trying to have cameras and having, you know, celebrities like Dr. Phil embedded within is meant to upset a community, a community that we rely on to partake in solving public safety problems. This...

An unpopular Illinois, Dolton mayor was booed out of a town meeting then sued the other officials for hosting it without her. So-called America's 'worst mayor' Tiffany Henyard arrived at Monday's village board meeting an hour late and was met with outraged residents, reported WGN. Despite the meeting's location being moved to the local park district facilities after Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Office found Dolton had violated the state’s Open Meetings Act, Henyard tried to hold a separate board meeting at Village Hall, according to WLS.

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — A federal judge has blocked a new Illinois law that allows the state to penalize anti-abortion pregnancy centers if they use deception to interfere with patients seeking the procedure. U.S. District Judge Iain Johnston said Thursday the new law “is painfully and blatantly a violation of the First Amendment.” The law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week bans anti-abortion pregnancy centers, often referred to as “crisis pregnancy centers,” from using “misinformation, deceptive practices, or misrepresentation” to interfere with access to abortion services or emergency contraception. Violators faced fines of up to $50,000. The bill was...

The refrain is heard almost as often as the fatal gunshots: The way to reduce Chicago’s gun violence is tougher prison sentences for repeat gun offenders, keeping them off the streets and decreasing the city’s mounting death toll. That idea, pushed by the mayor, police superintendent and others, shifts pressure from patrol officers of the city’s West and South sides to the Capitol, where legislators will consider how to balance law and order with finding alternatives to imprisoning young blacks and other minorities.In that building, in the same Senate seat where Barack Obama launched his political career and focused on...