On October 1, Illinois Senate Republicans came together at a press conference to express concerns over recently released federal data that found more than half a million non-citizens with criminal convictions or pending charges are living in the United States. Senate Republicans note that these alarming statistics showcase the potential threat posed by immigrant criminals to the safety of Illinois residents.

Of the 662,556 with criminal histories on ICE’s national docket, 435,719 are convicted criminals and 226,847 have pending charges. Included in that are more than 13,000 non-citizens convicted of homicide and 15,811 convicted of sexual assault.

Following the conference, Republican lawmakers issued a letter to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul asking for Illinois-specific data on how many of these individuals reside within the state. Senate Republicans stressed the need for Illinois-specific data, arguing that the available national figures could mask a more pressing issue within the state. Under Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois has gone from allocating a few million dollars per year for non-citizen programs to more than a billion dollars, and the Governor recently raised taxes by nearly a billion dollars to pay for it. Meanwhile, a lack of cooperation between state law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), further complicated by the TRUST Act and other policies implemented under Governor Pritzker, has created significant challenges in ensuring public safety and transparency for Illinois residents.

Republican lawmakers remain committed to advocating for transparency regarding the presence of non-citizen criminals in Illinois. Senate Republicans say public safety must be prioritized and that Illinois residents deserve to have their questions answered.