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* Background is here if you need it. Gov. JB Pritzker was asked today about the Adams County sheriff. As you already know, news reports indicate that the sheriff has apparently violated state law by transferring two men into ICE custody and by having a contract with the US government that allows the county jail to detain people for ICE. Pritzker’s response…
Always worried about, especially, we’re talking about someone in law enforcement breaking the law, and that’s what he’s done. So it’s something that we’ve spoken with the Attorney General about. It’s always a challenge, you know, an elected sheriff who’s not following the Constitution, not following the laws of the state of Illinois.
So, you know, I think that’s something that we’re going to be evaluating how to address. But to be clear, there’s no member of law enforcement that should be breaking the law.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 3:04 pm
Previous Post: Isabel’s afternoon roundup
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This feels like an extension of the downstate sheriffs not feeling like following enforcement of Pritzker’s exec orders when it came to the covid mandates either.
And consistent with the sheriffs who said they would not enforce the assault weapons ban.
What recourse is there besides making people actually care about the rule of law and voting out the people who won’t follow it?
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 3:18 pm
Mandamus, and if necessary, then contempt of court.
Comment by DS Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 3:27 pm
- What recourse is there besides making people actually care about the rule of law and voting out the people who won’t follow it? -
Sue or pass legislation imposing penalties on this behavior.
Comment by Excitable Boy Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 3:27 pm
Sounds like they want to do something, but the lawyers haven’t found the magic bullet yet. Maybe Raoul needs to send them to the DeSantis school of abusing state laws.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 3:33 pm
When you pass extremist legislation, you lose the consent of the governed.
Comment by James Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 3:34 pm
Just a thought, maybe they can go after his law enforcement certification, which would make him ineligible to be sheriff if he loses it.
Comment by DTAG Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 3:38 pm
An unforced error and a gift to the MAGA crowd to pursue this - subject matter is an overwhelming loser for the Dems. Continuing the lack of awareness that this is a loser is a gift in and of itself.
Comment by All Good Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 3:46 pm
==When you pass extremist legislation, you lose the consent of the governed.==
In other words only laws that you agree with matter, right?
You’re a scary person with a statement like that.
Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 3:54 pm
So the Pritzker Administration is firmly and openly on the side of ignoring federal immigration law and pulling out all the stops to protect foreign nationals residing here illegally. Got it.
This is an 80-20 issue and Pritzker is on the wrong side of it. Incredible.
Comment by here we go again Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 3:54 pm
===When you pass extremist legislation, you lose the consent of the governed.
How is requiring a judicial warrant extremist? Is the 4th Amendment Extremist?
Comment by ArchPundit Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 3:55 pm
==Continuing the lack of awareness==
So we should just turn a blind eye to a Sheriff who is flagrantly ignoring the law?
If we are just going to throw up our hands and let the MAGA types run roughshod over the law then I don’t even recognize this country anymore.
Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 3:56 pm
He swore an oath, a requirement for holding this office:
“I do solemnly swear (affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Adams County Sheriff to the best of my ability.”
The state should declare that he violated his oath, and because of this, vacated his position and is fired. Then let him hire his own lawyers to argue it out. That’s how Trump would do it.
On the other hand, there is no reason to believe his successor would be any different. So there’s that.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 4:00 pm
- When you pass extremist legislation, you lose the consent of the governed. -
I’ll keep that in mind with the current Congress.
Comment by Excitable Boy Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 4:02 pm
===This is an 80-20 issue ===
No, it is not. Not by a long shot.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 4:08 pm
=So the Pritzker Administration is firmly and openly on the side of ignoring federal immigration law and pulling out all the stops to protect foreign nationals residing here illegally. Got it.=
Maybe give the laws of the land a quick read. Immigration and border enforcement are squarely the responsibility of the federal government. Not doing their job does not mean we aren’t doing our job.
Grow up.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 4:19 pm
=So the Pritzker Administration is firmly and openly on the side of ignoring federal immigration law and pulling out all the stops to protect foreign nationals residing here illegally.=
The state has no responsibility for enforcing federal laws. Doing so would be tantamount to having the Illinois Department of Revenue taking on the responsibility of the IRS.
To the extent the Illinois law is flawed it’s probably due to the fact that the legislature, and Governor Rauner who signed it, didn’t contemplate it being ignored and attach appropriate consequences.
Comment by Pundent Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 4:28 pm
==This feels like an extension of the downstate sheriffs==
I assume that’s how it feels to Grootens et al and how he got out over his skis
But it is VERY, VERY different
It is the difference between a police officer giving somebody a verbal warning for having a joint in public
And a police officer stealing public money by misrepresenting overtime hours
One is legal. One is not.
One is within his power. One is not.
One is arguably harmless. One is not.
Comment by Stephanie Kollmann Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 5:15 pm
==Sounds like they want to do something, but the lawyers haven’t found the magic bullet yet. ==
If the lawyers haven’t found it it’s because they don’t want to.
Comment by Stephanie Kollmann Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 5:17 pm
I am glad that the Governor clearly said the sheriff broke the law.
Comment by Stephanie Kollmann Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 5:20 pm
It seems bad and not sustainable that Republicans get to opt out of laws the rest of us have to follow
Comment by SWIL_Voter Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 5:22 pm
Half of your local community’s budget is police, and in many communities, that still isn’t enough, and we want to spend those resources, not on solving murder cases or patrolling the streets or anything active, but on rounding up the grandma down the street who overstayed her visa 20 years ago? And you don’t even want to require a warrant? That’s wild to me.
Comment by SWIL_Voter Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 5:46 pm
From sovereign citizens to sovereign sheriffs! These guys (Yup.. ALL guys) gotta learn that they are functionaries of the State. They neither make nor interpret the laws of Illinois.
The Illinois Sheriffs Association has significant complicity in this.
Comment by Yesterday’s Chairman Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 7:06 pm
My opinion on this is just that. my opinion. Federal law is more important than state law.
Comment by Blue Dog Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 8:48 pm
===Federal law is more important than state law.===
Thomas Jefferson disagrees with you. So do I. Read the 10th Amendment sometime and then get back to us.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 9:28 pm
=Federal law is more important than state law.=
You might want to sit this one out as you clearly don’t understand what’s at issue.
Comment by Pundent Thursday, Aug 28, 25 @ 10:08 pm