Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is on Capitol Hill today, facing questions from the House Oversight Committee over his administration’s sanctuary state policies. But before the hearing began, Congressman Brandon Gill (R-TX) previewed what’s to come during an interview with Chicago’s Morning Answer with Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson, calling out Pritzker’s positions and warning of the consequences of the open-border agenda.
“Who exactly are his people?” Gill asked, responding to Pritzker’s recent claim that anyone targeting immigrants would have to “go through him” first. “Because it sure seems like he’s fighting harder for illegal aliens than he is for American citizens.”
Gill, who represents Texas’s 26th Congressional District and sits on the Oversight Committee, made it clear that today’s hearing won’t be a free ride for Pritzker or his political allies. He plans to challenge Democratic governors like Pritzker, Tim Walz of Minnesota, and others on their support for sanctuary policies and their refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
Gill also pointed to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s inflammatory comments comparing ICE operations to the Confederacy. “It’s insane,” said Gill. “ICE agents are removing murderers, rapists, and gang members from our communities. These are law enforcement officials doing their jobs. Equating them with slavery-era terrorism is not just wrong—it’s dangerous.”
The Texas congressman said the hearing is designed to cut through the moral posturing and bring sanctuary policies into the daylight. “The left keeps talking about the ‘promise of America,’” Gill said. “But unlimited, unvetted mass migration isn’t the promise of America. It’s a breakdown of order that makes cities like Chicago and Los Angeles increasingly unlivable.”
The Oversight Committee will also feature testimony from so-called “angel families”—Americans who lost loved ones to crimes committed by illegal immigrants. Gill believes their presence will deliver a powerful message. “These families are the human cost of failed immigration policy,” he said.
Gill criticized the political motives behind sanctuary policies, suggesting Democrats see immigration as a pathway to electoral power. “They’re not just welcoming migrants—they’re importing future voters,” he warned. “And with congressional apportionment based on total population rather than citizenship, states like California and Illinois get rewarded with more seats in Congress even as they drive out their own citizens.”
The hearing comes as Chicago continues to grapple with the consequences of being a self-declared sanctuary city. Resources are stretched thin, migrant housing has sparked backlash in neighborhoods, and violent crime remains a top concern. Meanwhile, Pritzker has hired legal consultants and practiced for days ahead of his testimony, signaling just how high the political stakes are.
“He can rehearse all he wants,” Gill said. “But once he’s under oath, we’ll see how well he can defend policies that endanger public safety and erode the rule of law.”
As the Oversight Committee digs into the role states are playing in immigration enforcement—or the lack thereof—Congressman Gill promised no theatrics. “This isn’t about grandstanding,” he said. “This is about accountability.”
The hearing is expected to draw national attention as tensions rise over immigration, public safety, and the growing divide between federal law and local resistance.