Illinois Gov. Pritzker acts against El Salvador over Kilmar Abrego's detention

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: WTVO, WQRF-TV/Rockford

Posted: Apr 23, 2025 / 01:13 PM CDT
Updated: Apr 23, 2025 / 09:00 PM CDT


CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced that the state will take punitive actions against the country of El Salvador for holding Kilmar Abrego Garcia in custody. “The United States Constitution guarantees due process. We are witnessing Donald Trump erode our fundamental Constitutional rights in real time, and we must fight to restore the balance of power,” said Pritzker. “The State of Illinois will stand up for the Rule of Law and do everything in our power stop the Trump Administration from ripping apart our most basic rights.”

Garcia, an accused MS-13 gang member, was deported from Maryland to his home country in March, despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to El Salvador due to fear of persecution. A federal judge said Tuesday that the Trump administration is ignoring court orders, obstructing the legal process, and acting in “bad faith” by refusing to provide information about the steps they have taken, if any, to free Garcia from an El Salvador prison.

The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration nearly two weeks ago to facilitate Garcia’s return to the U.S. from a Salvadoran prison, rejecting the White House’s claim that it couldn’t retrieve him after mistakenly deporting him. Trump administration officials have pushed back, arguing that it is up to El Salvador, though the president of El Salvador has also said he lacks the power to return Abrego Garcia.

Pritzker has asked the Illinois State Board of Investment, the State Universities Retirement System, and the Teachers’ Retirement System to review any investments in companies controlled by El Salvador, with the purpose of withholding investments in those companies. The Governor is also directing the Illinois Department of Central Management Services to identify state contracts with companies that are controlled by El Salvador, with the purpose of stopping them.

Read more: https://www.mystateline.com/news/local-news/illinois-deportation-el-salvador/

[Blues Heron]

1. Nice. JB is a mensch

[4catsmom]

2. I really like Pritzker

he doesn't spout platitudes, he acts

[AllyCat]

12. Me too. I wish he wasn't a billionaire.

There are no good billionaires.

[questionseverything]

15. He couldn't afford to be governor if he wasn't a billionaire

That’s how the system is set up

And at least jb is a good guy

[dutch777]

3. Largely a symbolic gesture but any thing that gives Trump and El Salvador the finger, I am good with.

I wonder if Pritzker will run for Durbin's senate seat? I know he probably has his stretch goal as the WH but I suspect he knows, like Newsom, that that is a highly unlikely option.

[surrealAmerican]

4. Does the state have any "investments in companies controlled by El Salvador"?

It seems pretty unlikely.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Chiquita has a presence there

as one of their banana/plantain exporting countries. The country also exports coffee and sugar cane/sugar.

[Jose Garcia]

11. But it is not 'controlled by" El Salvador

This is meant to be symbolic, not effective.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. Many of these countries actually have "nationalized" interests in the products that get exported

which is why I also mentioned the coffee and sugar cane.

The point being that despite how the article is parsing it, Pritzker is looking towards "divestment", which sends a message, and is why they are simply saying they are "looking into it".

[Buddyzbuddy]

6. NEWSOME! ARE YOU TAKING NOTES?

DO SOMETHING. Stop f.cking around with podcasts. I didn't vote for this version of you.

Sorry, very well done, Gov. Pritzker. Your constituents should be proud.

[Martin68]

7. Poor El Salvador, caught between an insane president and a democratic governor.

El Salvador is just doing what Trump demanded they do.

[ananda]

8. That should be: falsely accused member of MS-13.

There, fixed it.

[WinstonSmith4740]

10. Thank you!

That jumped out at me, too. The fact that the fascists running the government right now produced a (badly) photo shopped image of his hand should be proof enough for anyone.

[Lonestarblue]

9. Every Democratic governor needs to do this.

[Scrivener7]

13. GREAT idea!