Illinois Enacts Measures Against El Salvador

(MENAFN) Illinois Governor JB Pritzker revealed on Wednesday a collection of actions his state is implementing against El Salvador.

These steps are a reaction to the Trump administration's involvement in bypassing legal rulings and neglecting fundamental legal procedures during the deportation of migrants from the U.S. to prisons in El Salvador.

Referencing the foundational legal protections of the country, Pritzker stated, "As laid out in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution, no one should be deprived of life and liberty without due process of law."

He emphasized that the basic legal rights guaranteed by the Constitution were being disregarded in the handling of recent deportation cases.

One notable example cited by the governor was the situation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Maryland resident who was lawfully residing in the United States.

Despite a previous judicial ruling that explicitly forbade his removal, he was expelled on March 15 alongside hundreds of individuals allegedly tied to Salvadoran and Venezuelan gangs.

These removals occurred without judicial proceedings, which directly contradicted standing legal protections.

Pritzker stated, "The Trump administration admitted it sent Abrego Garcia to El Salvador because of an administrative error."

He added that, "Despite a unanimous decision from the Supreme Court of the United States ordering the Trump administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return because of his wrongful deportation, he continues to be held in illegal confinement in El Salvador."

This highlights the ongoing detention of Abrego Garcia even after the highest court in the nation ruled in his favor.

Continuing his address, Pritzker said, "This week, Donald Trump doubled down on his illegal actions...saying he will not allow Constitutional due process." He argued that because the Trump administration continues to defy multiple judicial rulings and refuses to uphold legal norms, Illinois is compelled to take concrete steps against El Salvador.

These measures are meant to push back against what he called the Central American nation’s collaboration in unlawful and unconstitutional behavior.

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