Southern Illinois News

Blaine Wilhour, the state representative for Illinois House District 107, said that a recent tragedy involving an undocumented immigrant highlights the public safety risks associated with the state's sanctuary policy.

"An illegal immigrant was released despite an ICE detainer—because of Illinois' sanctuary policy," said Blaine Jacob Wilhour, State Representative from Illinois. "Now, an innocent person is dead. This blood is on Gov. JB Pritzker's hands. This is the cost of reckless sanctuary policies."

In early 2025, Illinois' sanctuary policy came under renewed scrutiny after an undocumented immigrant, released despite an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer, was later involved in a fatal incident. According to State Representative Blaine Wilhour on his official Facebook page, this case has reignited calls to repeal the Illinois TRUST Act, which limits local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The incident has intensified statewide debate over sanctuary policies and public safety.

Research published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that undocumented immigrants are significantly less likely to commit violent crimes than native-born U.S. citizens. The study indicates that U.S.-born individuals are more than twice as likely to be arrested for violent offenses, challenging claims that undocumented immigration leads to higher crime rates. These findings are based on multi-year arrest data across multiple states.

According to the Center for Immigration Studies and ICE data, over 25,000 ICE detainer requests were declined nationwide between October 2022 and February 2025. While Illinois-specific totals were not published, ICE reported that Cook County alone declined more than 1,000 detainer requests in fiscal year 2019. These figures reflect Illinois' prominent role in national sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Wilhour, a Republican representing Illinois’s 110th District since 2019, has consistently opposed sanctuary policies and advocated for stronger immigration enforcement. According to the Illinois General Assembly website, he brings a background in agriculture and small business and has introduced measures to enhance public safety and repeal parts of the TRUST Act. He frequently criticizes policies that restrict law enforcement coordination with ICE.