Few Democratic politicians have leaned into the struggle towards the Trump administration as aggressively as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Whereas some blue-state leaders have tried to discover a lane of compromise or quiet resistance, Pritzker has gone the opposite course — signing legal guidelines to restrict ICE operations within the state, creating the Illinois Accountability Fee staffed by retired federal judges, suing the federal authorities, and efficiently blocking the deployment of federalized Nationwide Guard troops on Chicago’s streets.
Pritzker has turned Illinois right into a check case for what organized state-level opposition to President Donald Trump’s administration appears to be like like — and has modeled a playbook he hopes different blue-state governors can comply with.
Pritzker is a singular determine in Democratic politics. A billionaire inheritor to the Hyatt resort fortune, he has spent tens of tens of millions of his personal {dollars} pushing for a extra progressive earnings tax in Illinois and advocates for a nationwide wealth tax — insurance policies that will immediately price him cash. He’s additionally a Jewish Democrat who has navigated his occasion’s shifting positions on Israel and Gaza, and a two-term governor who has drawn some public assist as a possible 2028 presidential candidate.
In our dialog, we talked about all of it: the Illinois playbook towards ICE, what Democrats are getting fallacious on messaging, the wealth tax, well being care, antisemitism, AIPAC, and what Pritzker thinks the occasion must do to start out successful once more. Under is an excerpt of our dialog, edited for size and readability.
We wish to discuss the way you’ve positioned Illinois as a floor zero for pushing again towards Trump’s immigration enforcement. You signed a legislation limiting ICE in Illinois. You created the accountability fee. You all sued the federal authorities. I needed to know when you might describe the playbook that Illinois has laid out for what to do if Trump involves city.
It begins with ensuring individuals know what their rights are when ICE brokers are banging in your door. Do it’s important to open the door? What’s it that they’re allowed to do and never allowed to do — after which the second factor, and that is what I instructed all people very early on: pull out your iPhone, pull out your Android telephone, video every part. And I’m speaking about not simply the people who find themselves being pursued, however you individuals within the neighborhoods who wish to shield their neighbors. And so they did that… That proof got here in helpful when the ICE and CBP brokers had been taken to court docket right here. And we gained.
I needed to dig into this as a result of Trump gave you an ultimatum saying to activate the Nationwide Guard or they federalize your troops. You known as that an authoritarian march. However on the finish of the day, 300 Guardsmen nonetheless got here to Chicago. There have been a whole lot of arrests there. Trump obtained the present he needed, too. What do you suppose was the tangible affect of that playbook you’re laying out? What do suppose you all succeeded in resisting?
Nicely, he federalized our Nationwide Guard, however was not allowed to deploy them in our streets. They had been by no means deployed within the metropolis of Chicago. They needed to keep on a federal base till it was decided by the court docket — together with the Supreme Courtroom — that certainly he doesn’t have the flexibility to ship his, you already know, federalized Nationwide Guard or my Nationwide Guard into our streets.
I ponder if the implication right here is considerably that blue states have been too timid in pushing again towards Trump. It looks like implied in what you’re laying out is a type of name to motion for different Democratic states.
Nicely, it’s actually true that we’ve obtained to face up and push again. And I’m speaking about peaceable protests and inspiring individuals to do as I’ve described, to video every part, to face up. And by the best way, I do know that protesters maintain up indicators and so they say — perhaps the legislation enforcement brokers really feel prefer it’s horrible issues they’re saying. However that’s what protest is about, proper? Folks exhibiting up and making their voices heard. And it’s crucial for us to guard that proper.
Democrats have additionally been part of funding and increasing ICE over time. As lately as 2024, I keep in mind Democrats on the presidential marketing campaign path agreeing that unlawful immigration was an issue. Cities like Chicago have struggled with the rise of undocumented migrants in recent times — I keep in mind my household who lives within the suburbs right here speaking about how they see extra individuals on the road over the past 4 or 5 years.
Typically it feels as if Democrats need deportations to occur. They simply need them to occur quietly and never essentially like we’re seeing from the Trump administration. Is it only a matter of tone right here, or what’s the tangible distinction between what Democrats wish to occur versus what Donald Trump is doing?
The tangible distinction is ICE and CBP at this time underneath Donald Trump are stopping US residents who’re Black and brown and demanding to see citizenship papers. Now, I don’t find out about you, I don’t get requested for citizenship papers. I don’t have any on me. However they’re doing it, and so they’re doing it to people who find themselves not undocumented, they’re doing [it] to people who find themselves right here legally, individuals who have lived right here perhaps generations, US residents… The distinction is that they’re racially profiling.
So ought to ICE be abolished?
It’s essentially completely different, what Donald Trump is doing with it. What he’s doing with it ought to completely be abolished. And it’s obtained to get replaced. It’s simply obtained to be wiped away and changed. Donald Trump has turned them right into a secret police. And I don’t imagine that we wish secret police on the streets of our cities and of our nation.
So whenever you say cease the funding, cease your occupations, cease the killing, that’s meant to be —what you’re saying is that that quantities to a name to defund and exchange ICE.
That’s what I’m saying. I believe what they’re doing within the Senate proper now, holding up DHS funding, exactly to get lots of guidelines and rules round what’s occurring, as a result of individuals are getting shot within the streets by ICE and CBP, is the best factor to do.
I wish to additionally discuss taxes. You’ve spent $58 million of your personal cash making an attempt to cross a graduated earnings tax in 2020 that voters rejected 55 to 45. I do know you’re in favor of a wealth tax nationally. You your self are somebody who would fall underneath stated wealth tax. Inform me the way you got here to supporting an thought of one thing that will price you cash.
I’m a Democrat. I imagine that it’s our obligation to have a authorities that stands up for the center class, the working class, probably the most susceptible. You’ve obtained to pay for that someway. And it shouldn’t fall on the backs of the center class and the working class largely. It ought to fall on the backs of the individuals who can afford it. And so I actually imagine in a graduated earnings tax. Now we have constitutionally within the state of Illinois, a flat tax. I do know there are many individuals who like that truth, however largely they’re the wealthiest individuals who like that truth as a result of they don’t just like the graduated earnings tax that exists on the federal degree both.
So is it about elevating income or is it extra ideological? Had been you at all times somebody who was supportive of a wealth tax? Inform me about your type of journey on that query.
You name it a journey. Hear, I’ve been a Democrat my complete life. I grew up in a family the place we had been…
There’s lots of Democrats, significantly rich ones, who don’t imagine in one thing like a wealth tax.
I don’t know what to say about that. I can inform you this — that we want…you bought to pay for roads. You bought to pay for, you already know, authorities. You bought to pay for the helps that probably the most susceptible want, someway. And so the query is, who ought to that burden fall on? Individuals who can’t afford it or individuals who can?
Truthful. You’ve been touring to New Hampshire. The state has pushed to maneuver Illinois up within the Democratic major. I lately learn James Carville publicly backed you for president in 2028. I do know you’re instantly working for a 3rd time period for Illinois governor, however I might not be a journalist if I didn’t simply immediately ask you — are you somebody who we must be fascinated with as a 2028 presidential candidate?
I’m working for reelection such as you simply stated. Now that’s what I’m centered on. I’m clearly flattered that individuals have talked about me for nationwide workplace. I, you already know, look, I’m the governor of the fifth-largest state within the nation. And I’m very pleased with that truth. However I’m centered on the accomplishments that we have to make and that we’ve made, within the state of Illinois and for the individuals of Illinois.
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