Republican congressional candidate Christian Maxwell is calling out Illinois Democrats for deflecting blame on illegal immigration policies while ignoring the role of Governor J.B. Pritzker’s pro-illegal alien legislation. Speaking after a Democrat-led press conference in Chicago, Maxwell criticized the state’s delegation for failing to engage in meaningful dialogue with President Donald Trump on immigration reform.
At the event, Rep. Delia Ramirez claimed Trump and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem created a “violent invasion,” while other Democrats, including Reps. Chuy Garcia and Jonathan Jackson, left the room before taking any questions. Rep. Robin Kelly admitted no attempts had been made to request a meeting with the president, dismissing the possibility outright.
Maxwell, who is running against Jackson in Illinois’ 1st District, said refusing to seek solutions disqualifies their criticism. “If they haven’t even tried to pursue a meeting, you cannot make a single claim about what Trump will not do, because you never asked,” Maxwell stated.
He also highlighted Illinois’ own role in the crisis, pointing to the 2021 Way Forward Act signed by Gov. Pritzker. The act restricts law enforcement from inquiring about immigration status and ends agreements between local jails and ICE. Maxwell argued this created sanctuary-style protections and increased the burden on federal resources.
By making it harder for ICE to detain illegal aliens in Illinois, Maxwell said the law forced the federal government to move detainees out of state at taxpayer expense. He called out the hypocrisy of Democrats blaming Trump while supporting state laws that obstruct immigration enforcement.
Maxwell’s comments tap into growing frustration over sanctuary policies and the breakdown of border security, positioning immigration as a central issue in his challenge to the Democrat stronghold.
