Governor JB Pritzker Urges Residents to Record Encounters With ICE

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is calling on state residents to film federal agents after President Donald Trump directed the deployment of National Guard troops and enhanced protection for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, as reported by Newsmax.

Late Monday, Pritzker posted a message on X urging residents to document interactions with agents. “People of Illinois, we need your help. Get your cell phones out – record what you see.

Put it on social media. Peacefully ask for badge numbers and identification. Speak up for your neighbors. We need to let the world know this is happening – and that we won’t stand for it,” Pritzker wrote.

People of Illinois, we need your help.

Get your cell phones out – record what you see. Put it on social media. Peacefully ask for badge numbers and identification. Speak up for your neighbors.

We need to let the world know this is happening – and that we won’t stand for it.

— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) September 30, 2025

The appeal followed reports that dozens of armed federal agents were seen patrolling downtown Chicago on Sunday. According to witnesses, agents in tactical gear deployed chemical agents near the ICE facility in Broadview and detained several individuals.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

Pritzker told reporters Monday that the actions were not about public safety.

“This is not about fighting crime or about public safety. This is about sowing fear and intimidation and division among Americans. It was about creating a pretext to send armed military troops into our communities. This is about consolidating power in Donald Trump’s hands,” he said.

President Trump has repeatedly criticized Chicago’s crime rates, at times referring to the city as a “hellhole.” He has emphasized the city’s homicide statistics and has pressed for stronger federal action against illegal immigration and gang activity.

The call for additional enforcement comes after last week’s shooting at an ICE field office in Dallas. In response, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo on Monday directing federal law enforcement agencies to step up protection of ICE facilities nationwide.

In her directive, Bondi said the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives should “immediately direct all necessary officers and agents to defend ICE facilities and personnel whenever and wherever they come under attack.”

Bondi also announced the creation of a temporary “ICE Protection Task Force,” a unit expected to coordinate across federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to ensure the security of federal immigration operations.

Illinois now becomes a focal point in the broader national debate over immigration enforcement and federal authority, with the governor openly opposing the measures even as federal officials expand operations to guard ICE facilities from potential threats.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.