It’s the eve of one of the biggest moments of JB Pritzker’s political career.
In made-for-TV theater, the Illinois governor is in Washington to face the Republican-led House Oversight Committee. The hearing topic: sanctuary polices for undocumented immigrants.
For Pritzker, long rumored to have his eye on a future White House run, the stakes are enormous.
“We’re gonna see Donald Trump’s Congressional Republicans really put on a show. And this is going to be full of political theatrics. They are going to try to put people on the spot, but I think Governor Pritzker is going to have a steady hand, he’s going to do what he has always done, which is put the people of Illinois first,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton.
Governors of New York and Minnesota will also join Pritzker on the hot seat.
Republicans are going after Sanctuary Laws, saying they protect criminals — and they’re likely to focus on the Trust Act. This Illinois law enables people to report crime and call emergency services regardless of their immigration status.
To prep, Pritzker retained a Washington, D.C. law firm. A source says the billionaire paid for their services out of his own pocket. He’s also getting an assist from a former White House counsel to President Joe Biden.
I think he’ll be well prepared. He knows how aggressive the Republicans will be based on what they did with Mayor Johnson, but as you probably noticed, they kind of get ridiculous at some point,” said Congressman Raja Krishanmoorthi.
In March, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was hauled before Congress when Republicans took aim at Sanctuary City mayors. The attacks were relentless.
“This is why you have 6 percent approval ratings because you suck at answering questions,” said Nancy Mace.
“When there’s trust between these city residents and police, undocumented immigrants come forward to report crimes to local law enforcement and provide information that helps police solve those crimes,” Johnson responded.
Republican Congressman Darin LaHood, rumored to be considering a run for U.S. Senate or Illinois governor, is expected to join Thursday’s hearing to question Pritzker.
