In this episode of "The Misadventures of Governor Gasbag"...
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is a special brand of arrogant. Granted, he’s hardly the sole blowhard in today’s Democratic Party, but his simmering hatred of President Donald Trump, paired with delusions of a 2028 presidential run, seems to inflate his ego beyond its usual limits.
A perfect case in point occurred on Thursday when Pritzer trotted over to MSNBC's TDS-riddled "The Briefing With Jen Psaki" to commiserate with former President Joe Biden's former White House press secretary about the pretend evils of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents, as they continue their now dangerous job of rounding up illegal aliens that were all but welcomed into the country by Biden.
Psaki kicked off the festivities, thusly:
You said on Sunday that you were looking at prosecuting ICE agents who violate the law. What can you tell us about that? What would that look like?
Great question — regardless of the fact that Pritzker undoubtedly knew it was coming, so he could prepare what he considered to be a cogent response. It wasn't (emphasis, mine):
We don’t know that anybody would be held accountable at the federal level. So we’re looking at all of the options at the local level with county state’s attorneys, with attorneys general to go after people [ICE agents] when they’re breaking Illinois law, when they’re breaking local law.
Stop the tape.
To be clear, federal Judge Sara Ellis issued a temporary restraining order a week ago in response to a lawsuit from protesters and journalists who alleged excessive use of pepper balls and tear gas outside an ICE processing center in suburban Broadview, Illinois. In her ruling, Ellis expressed concern over what she described as the “indiscriminate” deployment of chemical agents and used her order to set limits on how federal officers could employ them.
In addition, Illinois law restricts the use of tear gas and other chemical agents, particularly regarding its deployment by law enforcement against crowds — peaceful protests and constitutionally protected gatherings, that is.
If your mind harkens back to the "peaceful protests" in the aftermath of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis, you're not alone.
Moreover, does a confrontational crowd doing its best to impede or stop ICE agents from legally doing their jobs fall under the category of a "constitutionally protected gathering"?
"It seems like they ought to be held responsible for breaking local and state laws." Illinois Governor JB Pritzker talks with Jen Psaki about the possibility of prosecuting ICE agents who break the law. https://t.co/3o59Rx4qAL pic.twitter.com/fVM425g0Ma
— The Briefing with Jen Psaki (@PsakiBriefing) October 17, 2025
Incidentally, Psaki was her predictable self.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Watch As Tom Homan Rips JB Pritzker for Hating Trump More Than He Loves Chicagoans
So here's the thing — one of them, anyway:
According to the State Democracy Research Initiative, published by the University of Wisconsin Law School, no less — not exactly a bastion of conservative (emphasis, mine):
As state and local officials increasingly clash with federal officials over immigration enforcement, policing of protests, and much more, they could soon turn to a long-used tactic of state pushback: prosecuting federal agents or officials for violations of state laws.
The bottom line is that states are legally permitted to prosecute federal officials for state crimes—within limits. The limits stem from the federal constitutional principle that states should not be able to undermine federal policy via targeted criminal prosecutions, a doctrine known as Supremacy Clause immunity.
But this principle only applies when federal officials are reasonably acting within the bounds of their lawful federal duties. [Only] when federal officials act beyond the scope of their duties, violate federal law, or behave in an egregious or unwarranted manner, [can] state prosecutions move forward.
Even where charges are ultimately dismissed, states have occasionally used prosecutions as a form of pushback against controversial federal actions.
The real thing that's going on here, and is also the case with Gov. Hair Gel (Gavin Newsom) in California, is exactly the last paragraph above.
The Bottom Line
While Democrats may face significant challenges in successfully prosecuting ICE agents, they remain relentless in their efforts to complicate immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Their approach is to create legal, political, and operational hurdles to make ICE's work of detaining and deporting illegal aliens as difficult as possible, which includes filing lawsuits, imposing court restrictions like banning tear gas use against not-so-peaceful protesters, and highlighting allegations of abuses or violations by federal authorities.
In other words, exactly what the Democrats have been doing since day one of Trump's second term.
Note: The Schumer Shutdown continues. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown over healthcare for illegals.
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