INTERVIEW: Chicagoans Want to Overturn Sanctuary Laws, But IL Democrats Put Illegal Aliens First

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) continue to undermine the Trump administration's efforts to detain and deport dangerous criminal illegal aliens, according to citizen activists who spoke with Restoration News. 

They point to extreme open border policies that enable illegal aliens to obtain driver's licenses, change their names, and evade E-Verify requirements for employment, to name just a few examples. Citizen activists are also challenging city and state sanctuary policies that prevent local law enforcement from cooperating with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. 

Terry Newsome, host of the "Behind Enemy Lines" podcast, also expressed concern about the fallout from the SAFE-T Act Pritzker signed into law eliminating "cash bail" beginning in 2023. Newsome told Restoration News that the act "contributed to an atmosphere of lawlessness" making it more difficult for law enforcement to detain dangerous criminals including those who have entered the country illegally. Newsome credits Tom Homan, President Donald Trump's border czar, for his continued efforts "to remove violent criminals from the streets" in Chicago and other parts of the country.

Credit: Terry Newsome, "Behind Enemy Lines" podcast

"The problem with the SAFE-T Act, and with the sanctuary laws in general, is that they make the situation more dangerous not just for the general population, but for the ICE agents themselves," Newsome said. "Instead of just being able to go to the jails to remove these subjects, the ICE agents have to go into the community and put themselves at risk while apprehending dangerous criminals."

Newsome is not alone in his assessment of the SAFE-T Act. Former McHenry County State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally said the law has greatly hindered law enforcement. Before leaving office, Kenneally put out a press release highlighting figures showing how much crime has increased in his county since the SAFE-T Act was implemented. Kenneally also called attention to the rising number of criminal defendants who have skipped their court dates and remained at large thanks to cash bail. 

Newsome has helped to focus attention on the criminal activity around the Chicago shelters Johnson has set up for the benefit of illegal aliens. Newsome sent Restoration News a video available on X showing an encounter between him and three suspected illegal aliens who appeared to be dealing drugs. 

Must see! Outside of one of Mayor Johnson’s measles outbreak, illegal alien shelters in Chicago, Illinois, three illegal thugs were not happy when we started filming them.

After doing our interview on War Room with Steve Bannon, we were walking back to our cars when we noticed… pic.twitter.com/kL0ITMihoB

— Ben Bergquam - Real America’s Voice (RAV-TV) News (@BenBergquam) March 21, 2024

"The situation is not just dangerous for the legal citizens of Chicago, but also for the broader migrant community, which is also being victimized by illegal alien gangs," Newsome said. "Homan has done a lot to clamp down on the crime Johnson and Pritzker let get out of control. But we still have a way to go, and we need for local enforcement to be able to do its job without sanctuary policies."

As Restoration News previously reported, petitioners, headed by the Save Illinois Coalition, have proposed two ballot questions focused on overturning Chicago's "Welcoming City Ordinance" and the Illinois "Trust Act." Both sanctuary laws block local law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal immigration officials attempting to arrest, detain, and deport illegal aliens.

Suspend Sanctuary Policies?

Cata Truss, a former Chicago Democrat-turned-Republican, is among the citizen activists working to overturn the sanctuary laws. She was not impressed with the testimony Johnson delivered before a House committee last week along with other sanctuary mayors. 

"What we saw from Johnson was a plethora of deflection and no questions were answered," Truss told Restoration News.  "Unfortunately, the same questions that were being asked by Congress are the same questions Chicagoans have been asking."

Truss has lived in the Chicago area for more than 30 years and now resides just a few blocks from the mayor's residence. She has noticed that a lot of crimes go unreported when illegal aliens are involved.

"My husband was carjacked right in front of our house," Truss said. "People don't feel safe in downtown Chicago, and that's tragic because it's such a beautiful city. Migrants are also victims because they are committing crimes against each other."

Truss is calling on Johnson to "man up" and admit mistakes were made so that the city's shaky finances can be put on more solid footing. She also expressed strong support for the two referendums that would overturn the sanctuary laws, but in the meantime, she has another idea. 

"Let's put a temporary suspension on our sanctuary city status until such time that we have a balanced budget, and we can afford to take care of the people who are here," Truss said. "The mayor is still trying to find ways cipher money to support the migrants. But Chicagoans and Illinoisans are suffering and we don't have the money for healthcare for education."

The city has spent more than $600 million in taxpayer dollars on illegals since the "migrant crisis" began in 2022 under Joe Biden. In that time, some 52,000 illegal aliens have flooded into the city largely from South America.

Truss had been a lifelong Democrat prior to the migrant crisis and voted Democrat every year since she was 18.

"Not anymore, I'm now a registered Republican and I supported Trump in the last election," she explained. 

For the past several months, Newsome has been collecting footage of suspected Tren de Aragua Venezuelan gang members operating in Chicago. The ultra-violent gang is reported to have at least 5,000 members in the U.S. Since Trump recently declared the Tren de Aragua gang a terrorist group, Newsome wonders if that obviates the sanctuary laws in his state. 

A federal judge has issued an order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to remove suspected illegal alien gang members from the U.S. 

"That's unfortunate and tragic for people across Illinois," Newsome said. "There's no reason why law enforcement at all levels can't work together to protect the safety of innocent citizens across the state."

(READ MORE: Will Illinoisans Abolish Chicago’s Sanctuary City Status?)