Pritzker calls ICE operation a campaign of ‘terror,’ feds say Illinois sanctuary laws shield violent gangs 

The governor of Illinois is doubling down on sanctuary policies and describing federal immigration enforcement as a campaign of “terror,” even as federal officials point to a rising tide of violent crimes committed by released illegal aliens.

Gov. JB Pritzker highlighted his state’s resistance to federal immigration enforcement during recent address to UNIDOS. Pritzker labeled the federal government’s Operation Midway Blitz as a “targeted campaign of abuse and terror” and accused masked ICE agents of wreaking havoc in neighborhoods.

Pritzker said his state’s actions are rooted in “solidarity and compassion.” He praised residents who carried whistles to alert others of ICE agents and donated to immigrant advocacy groups.

Meanwhile, ICE points to a growing list of horrific crimes committed by illegal aliens who were released back onto the streets due to Illinois sanctuary laws.

The toll of sanctuary policies

Federal authorities launched Operation Midway Blitz in September 2025 to honor Katie Abraham. She was a 20-year-old killed in Urbana by an illegal alien in a drunk driving crash. The operation explicitly targeted criminals who flocked to Illinois to take advantage of sanctuary policies.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said sanctuary politicians have routinely released gang members, rapists and kidnappers onto the streets. She said these policies put American lives at risk and make cities such as Chicago a magnet for criminals.

“If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will hunt you down, arrest you, deport you, and you will never return,” McLaughlin stated.

While Pritzker highlighted the creation of a state-sponsored accountability commission to counter federal actions, local law enforcement agencies routinely declined ICE detainers for repeat, violent offenders.

Those released include known Tren de Aragua gang members. One Venezuelan gang member named Pedro Enrique Colmenares Gonzalez has a history of sexual assault and kidnapping. He was released multiple times despite ICE detainers.

Escalating public safety risks

Police in Mokena, Illinois arrested an illegal alien from Jordan named Hamed Mohammed Hamed Alsaidi in August 2026. Officers found eight Molotov cocktails in his possession.

Sanctuary politicians in Will County released him without notifying federal authorities despite ICE lodging a detainer. ICE agents successfully apprehended Alsaidi days later. He’s now been indicted.

ICE lists numerous recent tragedies tied to released illegal aliens in Illinois. These crimes include the execution-style murder of a Cook County man, the rape of a 54-year-old Chicago woman and a Tren de Aragua mass shooting.

Pritzker claims the federal operations traumatized communities and damaged businesses. ICE contends it’s doing the necessary work of removing the “worst of the worst” offenders, arguing Democrat leaders are failing to keep them off the streets.