Pritzker pledges to protect ‘vulnerable communities’ in Illinois after Trump victory
CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — Gov. JB Pritzker said Illinois will protect "vulnerable communities" from a Trump presidency.
Pritzker released a statement in the wake of Donald Trump's decisive victory on Tuesday, saying, "This morning, our most vulnerable communities woke up to new uncertainty about their future, scared that their rights will no longer be protected, and unsure whether this nation still stands with them. To women whose healthcare is under even greater threat, to our Black, Brown and AAPI communities, our LGBTQ friends and their families, immigrants and first-generation Americans, our most vulnerable Americans and those with disabilities, to all who have been made to feel unsafe and unwelcome by the Trump campaign and its allies – know that Illinois is your ally. You will always be welcome here."
Pritzker, who also funds abortion-advocacy non-profit Think Big America , has made it a priority to keep Illinois an "" for women throughout the Midwest seeking to terminate their pregnancies.
The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, turning the subject of abortion access over to individual states.
Under Pritzker, Illinois has some of the strongest abortion protection laws in the nation. It is bordered by states that have banned abortions like Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Missouri, making the state an ideal location for relocated abortion clinics.
The state has also passed laws giving LGBTQ residents access to gender affirming-care, which includes the administration of "puberty blockers" or sterilization procedures for individuals who identify as a sex other than the one they were assigned at birth.
"In 2017, I sought public office in large part because of the threat Donald Trump and his allies posed to Illinois, and as governor, I have helped enshrine into state law protections that uphold our common Illinois values. That work will continue, and it remains my north star. I will always strive to do what is best for the people of Illinois. When that means working with the next presidential administration that is what I will do, and when that means standing up to it, I believe my record is clear on where I'll be," Pritzker said.
The Illinois governor has repeatedly called President-Elect Trump a "racist, misogynist, and a homophobe."
Trump's supporters have repeatedly countered Democrats' criticisms, with former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy defending Republican ideals during a Trump event at Madison Square Garden, saying, "To gay Americans, you're free to marry who you want (if you want), without the government standing in your way. But that doesn't mean men should compete with women in sports."
He continued: "To black Americans: the media has tried to convince you for decades that Republicans don't care about your communities. We want for you what we want for every American: safe neighborhoods, clean streets, good jobs, a better life for your children, and a justice system that treats everyone equally – regardless of your skin color or your political beliefs."
"To every legal immigrant...you deserve the opportunity to secure a better life for your children in America. But our message to illegal immigrants is also this: we will return you to your country of origin, not because you're all bad people, but because you broke the law," he added.
Pritzker has America is "a nation, mostly, of immigrants and we should honor that fact," and highlighted the positive impacts of immigrants, but without distinguishing between those who arrived through legal or illegal means.
"We should be protecting residents of the state of Illinois, even if they're undocumented residents, and providing a path to citizenship," Pritzker said.
He has also Illinois has been passing laws to stymie federal efforts to conduct mass deportations, as Trump has pledged to do, but agreed that violent offenders "should be imprisoned and, or if they're illegal, undocumented in this country and they are committing violent crimes they should be deported and turned over to authorities in their countries."
Current U.S. law makes it a crime to enter the country through any means other than a legal port of entry.
