Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois is criticizing federal immigration enforcement efforts in Chicago, saying they are making the city feel like a “war zone”. He blames federal agents for the escalating tensions and claims that they are targeting innocent people, including children and elderly citizens.
Pritzker singled out a recent Border Patrol raid on an apartment building on Chicago’s South Side, where residents were restrained with zip ties. He said that federal agents were picking up people based on their ethnicity and checking their credentials.
The governor also expressed concerns about the Trump administration’s plan to send 300 National Guard troops to Chicago, which he believes is intended to create more tension. Pritzker has directed state agencies to investigate the apartment building raid, citing reports of children being zip-tied and elderly people being detained for hours.
Pritzker called into question the events surrounding a federal agent shooting a motorist in Chicago on Saturday, saying that it’s hard to know what really happened due to lack of access to facts. He believes that the federal government is spreading propaganda and hiding the truth.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/us/politics/pritzker-chicago-immigration.html