SOUTHERN ILLINOIS – Three House Republican lawmakers representing southern Illinois are sponsoring legislation to end Illinois’ sanctuary state status. House Republican Floor Leader State Representative Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis), State Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton), and State Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) issued a joint statement on Monday calling for immediate passage of HB 4187, a bill that would repeal the controversial TRUST Act that passed in 2017. The legislators say the flow of illegal migrants and drugs into the State of Illinois must be stopped.
“The TRUST Act established Illinois’ ‘sanctuary state’ status, and the results for our state and its taxpayers have been disastrous. Right now, approximately 628,000 undocumented illegal immigrants reside in Illinois, a number that is unsustainable for cities large and small,” Rep. Windhorst said. “We literally cannot afford to continue funding this crisis, with Illinois taxpayers already being on the hook for nearly $3 billion per year in costs. Healthcare for illegal immigrants is another driver of cost to taxpayers that is getting out of control. In September 2023, Illinois’ Department of Healthcare and Family Services estimated that healthcare for illegal immigrants will cost Illinois $831 million in the current fiscal year. We must take action to stem this tide. We must repeal the TRUST Act.”
State Rep. Dave Severin says the crisis at the US southern border lays at the feet of the Biden administration, and considering Illinois’ sanctuary state status, migrants know that if they come to Illinois, they will not be subject to law enforcement’s efforts to deport them.
“The TRUST Act prohibits local law enforcement officials in communities throughout the state from cooperating with the federal government’s immigration authorities,” Severin said. “The State of Illinois gives undocumented immigrants free healthcare benefits, driver’s licenses and housing assistance, as well as other taxpayer-funded benefits. Illinois taxpayers cannot afford to pay for free healthcare benefits for undocumented immigrants, especially at a time when healthcare costs for our own citizens continue to skyrocket. The TRUST Act’s gotta go.”
State Rep. Paul Jacobs is joining with Windhorst and Severin in offering an online petition to district residents so they can have their voices heard on the illegal immigration and sanctuary state issues.
“We are up against a Democratic party that favors lax immigration laws and open borders. Our citizens do not support sanctuary city and state laws, and now they’ll have the opportunity to sign on to our petition calling for the repeal of the TRUST Act,” Jacobs said. “The costs are out of control, crime is out of control, there is no plan to take care of the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants living in our state, and our citizens are rightly tired of it. I hope everyone will add their name to the petition that calls for the end of Illinois’ time as a sanctuary state while my House Republican colleagues and I continue to demand our legislation be given a fair and open hearing and an up or down vote in the House.”
A petition supporting the effort to repeal the TRUST Act is available at this link:
https://www.ilhousegop.org/end_illinois_sanctuary_state_repeal_the_trust_act_5