Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois (D) made headlines on Sunday with a bold demand for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to step down or face impeachment.
During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Pritzker criticized Noem’s leadership, pointing to multiple incidents involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, including shootings in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Portland, as evidence of systemic failures within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The governor’s ire was particularly focused on two events in the Chicago area, Breitbart News reported.
In September, an ICE agent shot and killed Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, claiming serious injury as justification, though later accounts raised questions about the incident.
Another shooting in October involved a woman shot five times by ICE agents, who initially alleged she possessed a semiautomatic weapon—a claim Pritzker and witnesses have disputed.
Adding fuel to the controversy, Pritzker noted that DHS, under Noem and Assistant Secretary Patricia McLaughlin, issued rapid statements after both Chicago incidents that were later contradicted by witness testimonies.
These discrepancies have led to accusations that ICE was at fault, with no charges filed against the woman shot in October despite initial DHS claims labeling her a domestic terrorist.
The governor also referenced similar troubling events in Minneapolis and Portland, painting a picture of widespread protocol violations by federal agents.
The issue has sparked intense debate over accountability at the highest levels of DHS.
Pritzker didn’t hold back, stating on CNN, “What happened in Minneapolis is a tragedy, and it’s one that we’ve seen twice, at least in Chicago and in the Chicago area.”
His words cut to the heart of a growing unease about federal overreach—tragedies like these aren’t isolated, and the public deserves answers, not spin.
Delving deeper, Pritzker accused ICE and CBP of flouting their own guidelines, alleging, “They are ICE and CBP, are breaking their own protocols … not only roughing people up, but literally shooting at people and killing them, when in some cases, the U.S. citizens and they’re doing nothing wrong.”
This isn’t just a paperwork problem—it’s a profound breach of trust between citizens and those tasked with protecting them.
If agents are disregarding rules meant to ensure safety, one has to wonder if the leadership setting the tone even cares about the law.
