SPRINGFIELD – Friday, a national immigration group defied Governor Rauner's claim earlier this week that Illinois is not a sanctuary state.
"ALIPAC finds Governor Bruce Rauner's comments … to be false, disingenuous and dangerous …" William Gheen of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC told Illinois Review.
In an effort to unite his Republican base, Rauner said Wednesday, "…We can have issues where we can disagree, and by the way, I'm adamantly against illegal immigration and we are not a sanctuary state, and we'll never be one. I oppose that. But, you know what? We gotta unite."
Governor Rauner and his advocates have insisted for a year that Illinois is NOT a sanctuary state – despite the bill he signed last year forbids local law enforcement from being in direct contact with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency about persons that are in the country illegally that law enforcement is releasing from local imprisonment.
Rauner's latest comments riled Gheen.
"ALIPAC finds Governor Bruce Rauner's comments claiming Illinois is not a sanctuary state to be both false, disingenuous, and dangerous since the Chicago Tribune ran the headline "Illinois is officially a ‘sanctuary state’ for (illegal) immigrants" on August 28, 2017 after Rauner signed the Trust Act into law at a Mexican restaurant with a mariachis band playing!" Gheen said.
"The Trust Act denies local law enforcement the ability to detain people on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which means Illinois is a sanctuary state," Gheen said. "Governor Rauner and the lawmakers who supported The Trust Act hold some degree of responsibility for all of the lost jobs, taxpayer resources, damages, injuries, and deaths caused by illegals on their watch."
As for Rauner's comments attempting to unify Illinois Republicans, Gheen suggested the effort was meaningless. As a matter of fact, Gheen holds Rauner and those that agreed with him on the measure responsible for so many illegal aliens picking their ultimate destination as Illinois.
"Illinois is one of the top destinations in America for illegal immigrants thanks to amnesty- and sanctuary-supporting Democrats and RINO Republicans like Bruce Rauner," Gheen said. "With Republicans like Bruce Rauner, who needs Democrats?"
Before signing the Trust Act, the governor refused to speak with Illinois families who have lost loved ones at the hands of immigrants in the country.
Other Illinois Review stories on immigration
-
ILLINOIS' NEW IMMIGRATION BILL ALREADY AFFECTING RELEASE OF DANGEROUS CRIMINALS IN US ILLEGALLY
- WHAT THE IL GOP PLATFORM SAYS ABOUT IMMIGRATION
- UPDATE 2X: NOW SIX IL GOP LAWMAKERS FILE EFFORT TO REPEAL SANCTUARY LAW
- RAUNER & TRUST ACT FEATURED ON NATIONAL FOX NEWS
- IL GOP WARNS NOT TO BELIEVE "MISINFORMATION" CIRCULATING ABOUT IMMIGRATION LAW
- NATIONAL WATCHDOG GROUP FILES FOIA REQUEST OF GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ON IMMIGRATION BILL
- GOVERNOR EXPLAINS WHY HE SIGNED IMMIGRATION BILL
- IL GOP SUPPORTS RAUNER SIGNING MEASURE TO BAN STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT'S COOPERATION WITH ICE
- GOVERNOR RAUNER TO SIGN SB 31 "TRUST ACT" MONDAY MORNING
