SPRINGFIELD – On Thursday, Governor JB Pritzker announced his plan to spend $160 million in taxpayer funds to provide shelter and job assistance to thousands of migrants in Chicago. Since 2022, nearly 25,000 migrants have come to Chicago and the State of Illinois has already spent $478 million on the migrant crisis.
With the surge in migrants coming to Illinois, State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Murrayville) filed legislation last month to repeal the TRUST Act, ending Illinois’ status as a sanctuary state for undocumented immigrants.
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Representative Davidsmeyer blasted Governor Pritzker’s plan to take $160 million away from essential services provided by the Illinois Department of Human Services to assist with the migrant crisis in Chicago.
“DHS provides vitally needed services to our developmentally disabled community, senior citizens, and children in need of our support,” Davidsmeyer said. “We have children sleeping on the floors of state agencies because we can’t afford to place them in proper settings. Governor Pritzker wants to spend $160 million to resettle migrants in Chicago while Illinois children have no place to go. Once again, JB Pritzker and his Democrat allies are shortchanging our own citizens to pay for their sanctuary state policy. This is disgraceful!”
Governor Pritzker’s $160 million plan to address the migrant crisis includes $30 million to streamline intake procedures, $65 million to create additional shelter capacity in Chicago, and $65 million to expand case management to expedite migrant independence, including job assistance.
“$638 million in taxpayer funds to address the migrant crisis created by Chicago’s sanctuary city, Illinois’ sanctuary state, and the Biden Administration’s failure to secure the border. Illinois taxpayers are already on the hook for more than $2 billion in costs to provide free healthcare benefits to illegal immigrants. When is enough enough?” Davidsmeyer asked.
“The crisis at our southern border can no longer be ignored. Illinois has become a safe haven destination for illegal immigrants. They know that if they come here, our law enforcement agencies cannot cooperate with federal immigration authorities to detain or deport them. On top of that, the State of Illinois gives illegal immigrants free healthcare benefits, driver’s licenses, and housing assistance. People illegally crossing our border are treated better than our own citizens. That is the crisis! We need to repeal the TRUST Act now!”
Representative Davidsmeyer has launched an online petition drive in support of his legislation to repeal the TRUST Act and end Illinois’ status as a sanctuary state for undocumented immigrants. Please visit his website at CDDavidsmeyer.org to sign the petition.
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