OPINION:
I know a thing or two about being at odds with the political establishment, and I am no stranger to corrupt prosecutors in law enforcement. Yet even in the most contentious days of my governorship and during my darkest days in my fight for justice, I never dreamed I’d see the day when the governor of Illinois would publicly attack our law enforcement officers for doing their jobs to enforce our immigration laws.
Nor could I have ever imagined that I would see the day when a governor, elected by the citizens residing in his state, would encourage civil disobedience and incite violence in defense of illegal immigrants, tens of thousands of whom are violent criminals. Yet here we are. J.B. Pritzker has not only crossed the line; he has erased it altogether.
I believe deeply in the idea that America is a nation of immigrants. My own father was an immigrant who came here with nothing but hope and a belief that America was the land of opportunity. Still, there’s a difference between supporting legal immigration and undermining the rule of law in the name of political opportunism. What Mr. Pritzker is doing is dishonest, deeply disrespectful and dangerous.
You don’t get to pick and choose which laws you enforce based on what plays well in the press or what appeases the lunatic fringe that has captured control of the Democratic Party. That’s not leadership. That’s cowardice dressed up as compassion. Worse, it’s a breach of the fundamental duty of a governor to keep the citizens in his state safe.
In recent weeks, Mr. Pritzker has doubled down on his sanctuary policies, fighting to protect those who have entered our country illegally — no matter the circumstances. He has vowed not to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Worse still, he has actively worked to obstruct law enforcement and has cheerfully seized every opportunity to get in front of TV cameras to vilify federal law enforcement agents and service men and women of the National Guard by calling them “storm troopers” and “thugs.”
These men and women risk their lives every day to protect our communities. They are not the enemy. They are not the problem. They are following orders and doing their duty to uphold the law. According to Mr. Pritzker, they must be condemned because he can’t resist feeding his insatiable appetite for free press and the approval of socialists, communists and anarchists.
This isn’t about compassion. It’s about control.
Mr. Pritzker knows he is losing ground. Crime is rising. Businesses are leaving. Illinois families are paying more and getting less. So what does he do? He manufactures a moral crisis and paints himself as a hero standing against federal tyranny. He spouts left-wing talking points about “injustice” while ignoring the very real injustices happening right here in our neighborhoods — carjackings, violent assaults, gang violence and murder — all of it escalating on his watch.
Now, by encouraging civil disobedience, he is essentially telling local governments, police departments and even everyday citizens to ignore the law if they disagree with it. That’s not civil rights; that’s civil disorder. Mr. Pritzker has cooked up a recipe for chaos.
Let me ask you this: What would happen if a different governor, maybe one with conservative views, decided to pick and choose which laws to enforce? What if a Republican governor told state agencies to ignore federal gun regulations or environmental laws? Would the media cheer that as moral courage too? Or would they call it what it is: lawlessness?
The truth is, this is bigger than immigration. This is about whether we are governed by law or ruled by emotion and political expediency.
Our police officers are being vilified for doing their jobs. The Latin Kings street gang in Chicago is putting bounties on the heads of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Federal laws are being openly flouted. Mr. Pritzker is standing at the center of it all, fanning the flames and inciting mob violence.
Real justice means creating a system that works for everyone. That includes legal immigrants who wait years and follow the rules. That includes U.S. citizens living in neighborhoods plagued by crime. That includes the cops who suit up every day, not knowing whether they will make it home.
Real justice isn’t a press conference. It isn’t a sanctuary city designation. It most certainly isn’t encouraging people to break the law to make a political point.
Mr. Pritzker, if you really want to help immigrants, fix the system. Lobby Washington. Push for comprehensive immigration reform that secures the border and provides a fair path to citizenship, but don’t make scapegoats out of law enforcement just to score political points. Don’t invite chaos under the false banner of compassion.
Illinois deserves better. Our citizens deserve leadership that respects the law, supports our police and protects our communities. What we don’t need is another grandstanding politician more interested in headlines than solutions.
What Mr. Pritzker is doing is wrong — not just legally but also morally. It’s a betrayal of his oath and a slap in the face to every Illinoisan who plays by the rules.
It’s long overdue to put politics aside and put public safety first. Otherwise, we won’t just lose control of our borders; we’ll also lose control of our state.
• Rod Blagojevich served as governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. In February, he was pardoned by President Trump for his conviction on corruption charges.
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