By Illinois Review
As Illinois Democrats compete in a high-stakes 2026 U.S. Senate primary, immigration enforcement has emerged as one of the most contentious issues in the race, with candidates seeking to distinguish themselves by calling to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and pushing to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The seat, being vacated by retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, has drawn a crowded Democratic field that includes Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly, among others.
As the primary intensifies, candidates have increasingly sought to distinguish themselves by taking aggressive positions against federal immigration enforcement.
Stratton was the first major contender in the race to publicly embrace the “abolish ICE” position earlier this month. She described the agency as “out of control and beyond reform,” arguing that ICE exists “to terrorize communities and execute Trump’s authoritarian agenda.”
Her remarks placed immigration enforcement at the center of her campaign message and aligned her with progressive activists who have long called for dismantling the agency.
Krishnamoorthi followed days later, escalating the debate further. In social media posts and public statements, the congressman said he would not support “one more dollar for ICE,” accusing the agency of operating without meaningful oversight or accountability.
He cited recent high-profile incidents, including the fatal shooting of Renée Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, as evidence that the agency poses a danger to the public. Krishnamoorthi also called for Secretary Noem to testify before Congress, demanding answers about ICE operations and the Department of Homeland Security’s role in enforcing President Trump’s renewed mass deportation efforts.
These calls come as Illinois continues to grapple with the financial and logistical impact of the ongoing migrant influx. Since 2022, more than 52,000 new arrivals have come to Illinois from the southern border through buses and flights, according to late-2024 and early-2025 data.
State and local spending on migrant services – much of it concentrated in Chicago – is projected to reach $2.5 billion by the end of 2025, with health care costs representing the largest share of that spending.
Amid that backdrop, Kelly introduced articles of impeachment against Noem earlier this month. Her resolution accuses the DHS secretary of high crimes and misdemeanors, including obstructing congressional oversight, violating public trust, and authorizing warrantless arrests and excessive force tied to ICE operations. Among the allegations are policies requiring advance notice before congressional visits to detention facilities and actions critics say undermine transparency and constitutional protections.
Support for the impeachment effort has continued to grow rapidly. As of January 20, 2026, the official congressional record shows 97 current cosponsors of H.Res. 996, all Democrats, including 80 original cosponsors at the time of its introduction.
The expanding list highlights how quickly momentum has built behind the resolution and signals broad support within the House Democratic caucus.
Other Illinois Democrats, including Rep. Delia Ramirez, have echoed similar criticisms of ICE, further cementing immigration enforcement as a defining issue in the primary.
With months remaining before Democratic voters choose their nominee, the race is increasingly shaping up as a test of how far Illinois Democrats are willing to go in opposing federal immigration enforcement – even as the fiscal and public-service impacts of the migrant crisis continue to mount across Illinois.
