U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited Springfield Wednesday, directly challenging Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker over the state's sanctuary policies. Secretary Noem appeared near the location where 24-year-old Emma Shafer was murdered in July 2023, citing her case as an example of the consequences of policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Noem stated her visit was at the direction of President Donald Trump to draw attention to Illinois policies she claims enable criminality. She connected the state's approach to public safety issues, arguing that prioritizing people who are in the country illegally over citizens is harmful.
Emma Shafer, a community organizer, was fatally stabbed in her apartment. Authorities identified Gabriel P. Calixto as the suspected killer and stated he was in the U.S. illegally when the crime occurred. Springfield police and the U.S. Marshals Service are cooperating in the ongoing search for Calixto.
The parents of Emma Shafer did not attend Secretary Noem's event. Instead, they protested blocks away and later released a statement expressing their pain regarding the use of their daughter's memory for political purposes.
During the news conference, Noem was joined by individuals she called "angel families," who shared stories of loved ones harmed by crimes attributed to people in the country illegally. One speaker, Jim Walden, an Illinois resident, recounted the death of his son, Jimmy, in a motorcycle incident years prior involving someone Walden stated was known by Maryland officials to be in the country illegally. Walden directly criticized Governor Pritzker's defense of sanctuary policies.Governor Pritzker's office dismissed Noem's visit as a "Trump-Noem publicity stunt." His office had earlier released a sarcastic itinerary for Noem's visit, referencing a controversial passage from her memoir.Illinois became a sanctuary state with the passage of the TRUST Act in 2017 under Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, which limits local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Governor Pritzker signed legislation in 2021 expanding this act. Pritzker contends the state law complies with federal requirements, a point Noem disputed, calling the state's stance a violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Governor Pritzker has recently become a prominent critic of the Trump administration's immigration stances and signaled his intent to testify before a Republican-led Congressional committee regarding Illinois policies in June.
"To see (Emma) used by Secretary Noem and others to advance a cruel and heartless political agenda is not just deeply painful to -- it is an insult to her memory," Cathy Schwartz and John Shafer, parents of Emma Shafer, said in their statement. "Noem's words are in direct conflict with who Emma was as a person." Parents of woman whose murder was cited by Kristi Noem releases statement
