>> Continued From the Previous Page <<
Pacheco-Meza was charged with reckless homicide and DUI. His passenger, 18-year-old Juan Morales-Martinez from Guatemala, was also arrested for drug and weapons offenses after crossing the border last year and being released into the interior by the Biden administration.
ICE Tried to Step In — But Pritzker’s Sanctuary Laws Blocked Them
Immigration and Customs Enforcement immediately filed detainers asking the local jail to alert them before releasing the suspects so federal agents could deport them.
But the Clark County Jail refused to cooperate. Under the state’s sanctuary law — the so-called TRUST Act — local officials are banned from assisting ICE unless a criminal warrant accompanies the request.
Governor J.B. Pritzker doubled down on this policy in 2021 by signing the Illinois Way Forward Act, making it even harder for law enforcement to coordinate with federal immigration authorities.
ICE agents had to wait outside the jail to capture Morales-Martinez after his release. But by then, the damage had already been done.
Trump Officials Slam Pritzker for Deadly Sanctuary Shield
“Two innocents were killed because this criminal illegal alien chose to drive under the influence,” said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who placed the blame directly on Illinois’ governor.
“President Trump and Secretary Noem have unleashed ICE and CBP in Illinois to restore law-and-order and remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities,” she added. “Anyone who is in the U.S. illegally and thinks they can roam free while breaking our laws and harming Americans is in for a rude awakening.”
Illinois State Representative Adam Niemerg, whose district includes Coles County, also pointed the finger at Pritzker.
“This really lands at the feet of Gov. J.B. Pritzker with the sanctuary state and sanctuary city policies,” Niemerg said. “Illegal immigration has become a major problem under both the Biden and Pritzker administrations.”
He added that this wasn’t just a big-city problem anymore: “This is Coles County. Two upstanding, honest citizens — one of whom served on the Coles County Board — are dead because of the insane policies our Governor continues to support.”
Illinois Becomes a Flashpoint in Trump’s Fight Against Sanctuary States
The Trump administration has made Illinois one of its primary battlegrounds in the war against sanctuary jurisdictions.
In September, ICE formally warned Illinois, California, and New York to stop ignoring federal detainer requests.
While California and New York refused outright, Illinois officials went so far as to reject delivery of ICE’s letter.
McLaughlin accused the state of “allowing criminal illegal aliens to be released back into American communities” through a mix of sanctuary laws and cashless bail policies.
In February 2025, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County, arguing that their sanctuary laws violate the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause. The suit cited over 13,500 criminal arrests of illegal immigrants in the state since 2016.
Pritzker Doubles Down Despite Mounting Deaths
When pressed by Congress earlier this year, Pritzker defended his position, insisting, “Illinois follows the law. I have consistently said violent criminals have no place on our streets and if they are undocumented, I want them out of Illinois and out of our country.”
But ICE was trying to do exactly that when Clark County officials ignored its detainer request.
Instead, Illinois’ sanctuary system has drained taxpayers by more than $3 billion — providing free health care, housing, and driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants while law enforcement officers’ hands remain tied.
Even many sheriffs in the state want the law repealed. A recent survey showed that two-thirds of them oppose the TRUST Act and say it prevents them from protecting their communities.
“What are they going to do to you?” asked Adams County Sheriff Anthony Grootens, challenging the state’s restrictions on local law enforcement.
The deaths of Mike and Gail Clayton are now being held up as a symbol of what critics have warned all along: sanctuary policies don’t just defy federal law — they destroy innocent lives.
And as Trump’s team moves to hold Illinois accountable, many are asking how many more Americans must die before Democrats admit their so-called “compassion” has gone too far.
