We are the Illinois frontline service providers and community advocates who have watched in horror as the Trump administration unleashes military-style ICE raids through our neighborhoods while simultaneously dismantling critical supports for our most vulnerable community members. We have supported community members as federal agents conduct sweeping immigration enforcement and tear families apart, while helping those who have had their access to essential services demolished by the same administration.
As a new year in the Illinois General Assembly gets underway, we came together with more than 100 advocacy, health and human services, faith, and community organizations to send a letter calling on Gov. JB Pritzker and the Legislature to resist federal coercion and refuse to retreat into regressive policy rollbacks. Our state must advance bold, progressive solutions, not abandon the progress so many Illinoisans have fought and sacrificed to achieve. It is essential that our elected officials make budgetary decisions and pass legislation that protects Illinoisans by filling some of the enormous gaps that now exist because the federal government has both assaulted and abandoned us. Passing legislation that shields our residents from these coordinated attacks protects our communities and creates a safety net of support and humanity in the face of systemic harm. That is, after all, the ultimate act of resistance.
The number of holes we must fill is enormous. Over the past year, the Trump administration has begun to slash essential federal funding streams, roll back vital civil rights protections, and impose austerity measures that are already devastating marginalized communities and state budgets nationwide. These attacks will not fall evenly; they target states like ours that have advanced justice reforms, expanded safety-net programs, and worked to build a more equitable society. These attacks come as our state continues to deal with the fallout of austerity state budgets passed by previous administrations and the need for new progressive revenue streams. Trump’s authoritarian agenda represents an unprecedented threat to the health, safety, and stability of millions of Illinoisans.
The people of our state will feel these cuts first, hardest, and most deeply.
Across our coalitions, direct-service organizations are already dealing with the fallout and preparing for further reductions in funding that would destabilize SNAP benefits, Medicaid, housing, behavioral health care, reentry services, disability services, public health infrastructure, environmental enforcement, child care, violence prevention programs, transportation systems, and more. Illinois must face this storm head-on, with the resolve to protect our commitment to equity and justice and continue to build upon that legacy as a form of resistance. If we do anything else, the consequences will be swift and severe for the communities we serve and for the organizations that work on the front lines every day.
Trump and his allies have already targeted communities in California, Illinois, Minnesota, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Louisiana. They continue to deploy federal forces that terrorize neighborhoods, including the unwarranted use of pain-inducing weapons and the unlawful detention of residents. They have openly signaled their intent to impose punitive measures on states that refuse to comply with their authoritarian agenda. While many details remain unknown, what is clear is that federal actors are attempting to force Illinois to abandon its commitments to justice, opportunity, and human dignity. These efforts represent a profound violation of state sovereignty and democratic self-government.
It is all too easy during times of economic pressure to cut programming and make our most vulnerable suffer. Instead, our elected officials should keep moving forward to protect everyone who lives here. Failing to do so will be giving in to this administration. That means that our elected leaders must focus on legislation that actually supports working people and the poor in Illinois. They must resist the urge to cut community investments, which are designed to lead to long-term safety and healthier communities. Instead of capitulating to demands to criminalize homelessness and behavioral health disorders, at a time when violent crime has dropped to generational lows, we can reaffirm our commitment to the landmark Pretrial Fairness Act and companion Pretrial Success Act that have eliminated money bond and created a network of community-based supports. We must continue investing in substance use and mental health treatment, in job training, and in quality access to health care, even if they seem expensive now. A failure to do so will cost a lot more – both in lives and in money – down the road. The Illinois nonprofit sector stands ready to work with Governor Pritzker, the General Assembly, and the people of Illinois. We stand with every leader and organization who chooses to defend Illinois residents rather than succumb to federal intimidation.
We know these coming months will require resolve, clarity, and courage. Illinois has faced serious challenges before, and in our best moments our state has chosen to meet those challenges head on, like when we’ve taken bold action to protect abortion and immigrant rights, as well as leading on pretrial reforms. We are proud to call ourselves the Land of Lincoln and proclaim our commitment to democracy. We are confident that Illinois will once again stand strong together, uphold our shared values, and reject any effort to force us backwards.