Chicago City Wire

Tom Homan, President-elect Donald Trump's appointed border czar, made an appearance in Chicago on Monday to present his plans for mass deportations set to begin immediately after Trump's inauguration. 

Speaking at a holiday gathering of the Northwest Side GOP, Homan addressed Chicago's leadership and its stance on immigration and sanctuary policies.

“Chicago is in trouble because your mayor sucks and your governor sucks,” Homan said, according to the Chicago GOP. 

Homan challenged the state’s leaders—particularly Mayor Brandon Johnson—to work with the Trump administration on securing the nation’s borders. 

“Because of his actions, we’re going to be arresting a hell of a lot more people than our priorities,” Homan said, according to The Independent UK. 

Homan, who previously served as the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under President Trump, emphasized that his goal was not to separate families but to enforce U.S. immigration law. 

"I’m not looking to separate families at all. That’s not my goal," he said, according to the Independent UK. "My goal is to enforce the law, but if you put yourself in that position, it may happen. But there’s no plan in this administration right now to separate families. It just isn’t."

However, Homan made it clear that his enforcement actions could lead to unintended consequences. 

“When they go find that bad guy, and when they find him, he’s probably going to be with others, others that are not a priority because they’re not criminals. But guess what? They’re going to be arrested, too,” Homan said, according to The Independent UK. “Because he forced me into that position. So he wants to play the game. I’ll play that game.”

Homan's remarks come amid growing concern over the rising cost of providing services to illegal immigrants in Illinois, which has reached an estimated $2.84 billion since July 2022. 

This includes significant expenses for healthcare, with projected costs surpassing $2 billion over the next two years. 

Republican leaders, such as Lupe Castillo, voiced frustration with the financial burden placed on Illinois taxpayers. 

"We don’t have the money to be supporting so many people coming in in such a great number," Castillo said.

In addition to healthcare costs, Illinois has spent $820 million on support services for undocumented immigrants, including assistance for asylum seekers and emergency funding. 

Homan’s mass deportation plan is seen by many Republicans as a necessary response to the rising costs, as well as a means of curbing the state’s sanctuary policies.

Under the Illinois TRUST Act, which was enacted in 2017, local law enforcement is prohibited from inquiring about a person's immigration status, effectively shielding illegal aliens from federal deportation efforts. 

The law has sparked significant controversy, with critics arguing that it enables criminals to evade deportation and contributes to rising crime rates in the state. 

Illinois residents have voiced concerns about crimes committed by illegal aliens. 

America First Legal (AFL) has noted the growing threat of criminal activity by illegal immigrants, including the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), in Chicago, citing new documents from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. 

“On July 29, 2024, the Chicago Police Department warned its own police officers that TdA gang members had a ‘green light’ to shoot police officers in the sanctuary city of Denver, Colorado,” AFL said. 

These records reveal that TdA is involved in human trafficking, drug crimes and violent acts, and that Chicago police were warned of threats against officers by gang members in Denver.

However, under the Illinois TRUST Act, law enforcement are prohibited from inquiring abut citizenship or immigration status and cannot cooperate with ICE under the law.

Homan, a staunch critic of sanctuary state laws, urged Illinois Democrats to reconsider their policies. 

"Help us protect you," Homan said. "Please. But if you don’t, get the hell out of the way."

Chicago GOP Chairman Chuck Hernandez also voiced support for Homan's stance. 

"I love it. I love it. Bring it. People need to know that this is a country with laws, and we’re going to have order," Hernandez said. 

Homan's comments signal that the Trump administration’s hardline approach will only escalate in the coming years, with Chicago expected to be a focal point.

Meanwhile, Pritzker said there is little Illinois can do to prevent direct federal law enforcement intervention. 

"We cannot prohibit them, federal law enforcement, from coming into our state to, you know, conduct raids or do anything else like that,” Pritzker said. 

However, Pritzker added that his administration will continue to side with illegal aliens. 

"I am going to do everything that I can to protect our undocumented immigrants. They are residents of our state," he told MSNBC host Joy Reid. "And I also, obviously, need to make sure that whatever they are doing in our state, the federal government, that it is actually within federal law or state law for them to do it."