Kristi Noem Accuses Illinois Democrats of 'Ignoring the Law'

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem delivered a powerful statement at a press conference in Chicago on Friday, displaying a shocking amount of cash, guns, and enough fentanyl to kill 10 million people, seized by federal law enforcement.

The display of 20 kilograms of fentanyl, equivalent to 44 pounds, underscored the seriousness of the crisis and Noem’s ongoing efforts to fight back against dangerous criminal activity.

Noem was adamant about the success of federal law enforcement agencies, particularly in their efforts to take this dangerous substance off the streets and save lives.

“Because these federal officers have been out on the streets picking up criminals and dangerous individuals, we were able to take this 20 kilograms of fentanyl off the streets and save over 10 million lives,” she said.

However, as she celebrated the work of ICE and other agencies, Noem took direct aim at Illinois’ leadership.

She is accusing Democrat leaders in the state of obstructing law enforcement’s efforts to combat crime.

“I’m here today because the elected leaders in this state of Illinois are ignoring the law,” Noem said sharply.

“In fact, they’re being obstructionists when it comes to getting dangerous criminals off of their streets.”

She didn’t mince words, explaining that Illinois’ policies were actively protecting criminals.

Calling out Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both Democrats, for putting these criminals above the safety of law-abiding citizens, Noem said:

“They are deciding the dangerous criminals—that are murderers, rapists, money launderers, have committed assault, that are trafficking children—are more important than the families that live in the communities here.”

Illinois and Chicago’s “sanctuary” policies, which limit cooperation with federal immigration laws, were a focal point of Noem’s criticism.

“Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Johnson are answering that question every single day of who should be our priority, who should be our responsibility, and over and over again, they’re choosing criminals,” Noem remarked, emphasizing the dangerous consequences of sanctuary policies that protect illegal criminals.

WATCH:

Kristi Noem rips Illinois Democrats for their sanctuary city fantasies—specifically @GovPritzker and @ChicagosMayor as “obstructionists” who shield violent criminals.

In a press conference in Elgin, Illinois—Sec. Noem detailed how ICE and federal agents had to work alone to… pic.twitter.com/yIFPd54UWU

— Midwest Millennial (@MillennialVerse) August 8, 2025

Since President Trump’s return to office, Noem and Border Czar Tom Homan have been given the charge of focusing ICE’s resources on arresting and deporting criminal illegal aliens, a mission made even more difficult by the violent backlash from pro-sanctuary jurisdictions.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported a 1,000% increase in assaults on ICE officers.

DHS attributes most of these attacks to the pro-sanctuary rhetoric and policies of state and city officials.

Noem also highlighted the growing challenges faced by federal immigration officers due to these policies.

“The uptick in violence against federal immigration officials is in large part due to the pro-sanctuary state and city policies, and the language of elected bureaucrats and politicians,” she said, addressing the root cause of much of the hostility against ICE.

Despite the increased attacks, Noem touted the success of ICE’s recruitment efforts, with the department receiving over 80,000 applications in just over a week following President Trump’s decision to lift age restrictions and allocate more funding to bolster the agency.

With the help of Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” ICE plans to hire 10,000 new agents to reinforce efforts to combat illegal immigration and criminal activities.

Noem concluded her statements with a call to action for Illinois’ leaders.

“Put citizens ahead of criminal illegal aliens,” she said.

“Think about the family members around you … the American citizens that live next door in your community.

“Start thinking about what kind of community they want to live in.”