Call and response
Tuesday, Jan 27, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski…
I stand with Angel Parent Joe Abraham and he stands with me because we both believe federal authorities must remove from our streets illegal immigrants who pose a threat to public safety. Joe’s daughter Katie was killed by an illegal immigrant in Urbana one year ago.
We also both believe the families victimized by illegal immigrants protected by sanctuary-supporting politicians like Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson deserve justice.
While there is, of course, a legitimate First Amendment right for people to protest policies with which they disagree, there is no right to interfere with lawful law enforcement operations. Ever.
I find it interesting that the protesters on the streets of Chicago, along with Pritzker and Johnson, who otherwise oppose individual gun rights, have no problem with someone tracking federal officers in Minnesota for the purpose of impeding their enforcement operations while armed with a handgun.
I also find it interesting that Democrats conveniently call for more civility in our politics when it suits them, but remain quiet when their allies demonize ICE and other authorities, falsely suggest that we are in a civil war, falsely claim there is a federal occupation of their community, falsely accuse officers of “disappearing people” and call for the unilateral, indiscriminate arrest of ICE officers and defunding of the agency.
The hypocrisy of Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Johnson runs deep. They engage in violent, incendiary rhetoric – calling federal officers “authoritarians”, “fascists” and “jack-booted thugs” – and then feign outrage when violence spurred on by their words inevitably erupts.
The unnecessary loss of life is always and everywhere a tragedy. The way to avert such tragedies with respect to federal law enforcement is to make your views known peacefully without crossing the line into illegally impeding their operations or resisting a lawful command when directed to stand down.
It is no coincidence that the places where most violence has occurred are in sanctuary states and cities that continue to prioritize criminal illegals over their own citizens.
Illinois should join the vast majority of states in this country that reject chaos-creating sanctuary policies.
The peaceful and orderly transfer of criminal illegals directly to federal authorities – rather than releasing them back onto our streets and forcing federal officers to track them down – should be Illinois’ policy going forward.
As governor, I will do all I can to prevent violence and to restore the law and order Illinoisans deserve. I will work responsibly with federal authorities to remove criminal illegal immigrants who pose a threat to public safety.
* Democratic Party of Illinois…
After failing to respond to questions about Donald Trump’s federal agent killing a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, Ted Dabrowski – who last year questioned whether Trump’s use of federal force was constitutional – refused to condemn the death of Alex Pretti. Dabrowski instead issued a rambling statement attacking Democrats and criticizing protesters.
In response, the Democratic Party of Illinois released the following statement:
“Last year, Ted Dabrowski said Donald Trump’s deployment of federal personnel ‘may not be constitutional.’ Now, after Trump’s continued federal overreach killed another person, he’s trying to walk back those statements in an effort to boost his flatlining polling and deflect from questions about where he truly stands. Using this tragic killing to score political points and deceive voters is outrageous.”
Dabrowski failed to clarify whether he still stands by his earlier concerns about Trump’s federal actions or if he has abandoned them for political expediency. With his polling numbers slipping and divisions within his party growing, Dabrowski owes Illinois voters a clear answer. Instead, he’s choosing political self-preservation over principle.
- low level - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 9:41 am:
Ted who? I still dont know who he is. Whoever he is he sure says a lot of nonsense so whatever dude.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 9:42 am:
===It is no coincidence that the places where most violence has occurred are in sanctuary states and cities that continue to prioritize criminal illegals over their own citizens.===
Lots of undocumented immigrants in Texas and Florida, but for some reason the ICE surge is targeting states with Democratic governors.
He’s right that this is not a coincidence. He’s just lying about why. This isn’t about immigration. It has never been about immigration.
If it was really about immigration, the Republicans in Congress would have supported the bill to add more judges and secure the southern border. But they chose to deny Biden a win on that, and now they are choosing this approach. If it was really about immigration, ICE enforcement would be implemented in red states too.
Ted may think his voters are stupid. But not all voters are dumb enough to believe his BS. He just capped his ceiling in the general at ~30%.
- Steve - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 9:56 am:
-the bill to add more judges and secure the southern border.-
The border is now more secure with way less encounters proving it was an enforcement issue. Check out the empirical data. All this without a new law…
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 10:00 am:
===proving it was an enforcement issue.===
Then why is enforcement so uneven?
Also, the idea that this country would or could deport millions of people is an absolute fantasy without some measure of due process. No judges, no due process.
The empirical evidence also shows more undocumented immigrants living in Texas and/or Florida that in Illinois or Minnesota.
- VK - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 10:01 am:
==The border is now more secure with way less encounters proving it was an enforcement issue. Check out the empirical data. All this without a new law…==
All it took was murdering a couple of US citizens and losing the moral high ground for several generations. Sure am glad we didn’t bother make sure we kept those around. Whew. Dodged a bullet there.
Well not everyone did, but you get what I’m saying.
- H-W - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 10:11 am:
=== I find it interesting that the protesters — have no problem with someone tracking federal officers — while armed with a handgun. ===
This sounds as if Dabrowski opposes guns, and the right to bear arms.
- Travel Guy - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 10:11 am:
==The border is now more secure with way less encounters proving it was an enforcement issue. Check out the empirical data. All this without a new law…==
Spending billions of dollars on something is definitely going to change outcomes. It would have been cheaper and more humane to add more judges…with a similar outcome. The cruelty is the point, no matter the cost.
- Siualum - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 10:11 am:
“…there is no right to interfere with lawful law enforcement operations. Ever.” I think “lawful” is the key word here.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 10:13 am:
==to remove criminal illegal immigrants who pose a threat to public safety.==
The Governor has never been against this. All he’s ever asked for is a judicial warrant. And that’s not what’s happening. Also, this false narrative that Dabrowski and the rest of the Republicans are putting out there that they are getting violent criminals off of the street and that is all they are doing is demonstrably false. When ICE wants to stop acting like thugs then maybe people will stop calling them thugs. What they are doing is indefensible. People are getting killed.
- Steve - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 10:20 am:
-It would have been cheaper and more humane to add more judges…-
Judges cost money. Judges get a pension. The legal system can delay and delay. It’s way cheaper to not have fake asylum seekers and illegal aliens on public assistance programs by not letting them in America. CPS students learning English costs federal taxpayers money in Title 1 funding.
- Huh? - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 10:31 am:
“The border is now more secure…”
So ICE terrorizing and murdering Americans without judicial warrants is securing the border. Kidnapping and deporting children who are American citizens is securing the border.
Got it.
- low level - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 10:47 am:
Carrie and Ted’s Not So Excellent Adventure seems to off to a slow start.
- New Day - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 11:14 am:
Deliberately reposting from the Heidner thread. This is an evergreen comment for the next ten months.
“Such amazing choices in the GOP primary. JB doesn’t have to spend a dime. Any of these jamokes would be tremendous fodder in a general. I mean there’s so much material on Ted, Schmendrick and now this guy. An embarrassment of riches for the GOP in 2026 with emphasis on embarrassment.”
- Think again - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 11:17 am:
=Lots of undocumented immigrants in Texas and Florida, but for some reason the ICE surge is targeting states with Democratic governors=
In Texas local/state/county LEOs have a legal requirement to work with ICE whenever an undocumented individual who is believed to be removable is in custody. Big difference from IL…
“A new state law passed in last year’s legislative session requires sheriffs in all counties with a jail to enter into such agreements, also known as the 287(g) program, this year. Since Trump returned to the White House, more than half of ICE arrests in Texas have come from local jails, according to the Tribune analysis”
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/19/texas-immigration-ice-arrests-raids-police/
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 11:43 am:
===Judges cost money. Judges get a pension.===
Pretty sure Thomas Jefferson said that first. /s
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 11:48 am:
===In Texas local/state/county LEOs have a legal requirement to work with ICE whenever an undocumented individual who is believed to be removable is in custody.===
That’s basically saying comply with all our demands and we’ll stop rampaging through your cities.
Take a flying leap
- Blitz - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 12:55 pm:
=It’s way cheaper to not have fake asylum seekers and illegal aliens on public assistance programs by not letting them in America=
Bud how do you know they are fake without due process?
- H-W - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 1:03 pm:
=== In Texas local/state/county LEOs have a legal requirement ===
And yet, Texas and Florida still have the largest share of undocumented residents. I guess that law you support doesn’t work so well.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 1:29 pm:
=The border is now more secure…=
Since we are checking out empirical data (I question whether you really are btw) the border traffic was all but halted at the end of the Biden admin. After not doing so and worrying about the election slipping away sure, but it was the Biden admin, or at least during, that the border was secured.
You also fail to acknowledge that our borders (we have more than one) are demonstrably less secure due to the fact that large number of CBP officers have been redeployed to areas well beyond their mandate like Chicago. I would accept that the current leadership does not understand the geography of our great nation.
=Judges cost money. Judges get a pension. The legal system can delay and delay.=
What do you think this is costing? Since you say it is “way cheaper” you must have numbers? I kid, we all know you don’t. What will all of the lawsuits cost?
=It’s way cheaper to not have fake asylum seekers and illegal aliens on public assistance programs by not letting them in America.=
Again, numbers please.
=CPS students learning English costs federal taxpayers money in Title 1 funding.=
Texas gets $7.748 billion in Title 1 funds Illinois gets $1.3 billion. You think Texas isn’t spending on ESL? I know they aren’t spending on Math and Reading based on the results.
- Fun With Numbers - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 1:40 pm:
Texas and Florida have around three thousand fewer immigration arrests under the Trump Administration than California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Nevada, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and all of New England combined. Per capita arrests, Texas and Florida are #1 and #3.
Say what you want about how they are implementing tactics in red vs blue states, but they are also going after immigrants in red states, and data suggests more effectively.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 1:59 pm:
==In Texas local/state/county LEOs have a legal requirement to work with ICE whenever an undocumented individual who is believed to be removable is in custody==
In custody is doing a lot of work there. Answer this, genius. Why aren’t they sending roving bands of brownshirts through Florida and Texas to harass and round people up like they did in Chicago and Minneapolis?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 2:26 pm:
===and data suggests more effectively===
Yeah, because they are not ginning up constant street battles.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 2:32 pm:
=and data suggests more effectively.=
I would suggest that if what you say is true, it may be because they are using trained agents versus untrained and otherwise unemployable misfits that were brought on board in a mass hiring to create mass chaos and attempt to intimidate the citizenry.
- AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Jan 27, 26 @ 2:50 pm:
“but they are also going after immigrants in red states”
Could be carelessness, but it’s telling you and yours aren’t even pretending this is about *undocumented* immigrants but immigrants in general, particularly brown ones.