Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has said she will not suspend the government’s aggressive immigration crackdown in Illinois over Halloween, denying a request from the state’s governor that children might enjoy the holiday “without fear”.
JB Pritzker, the Illinois governor, wrote to Noem earlier this week, asking for a pause after border patrol agents reportedly used teargas to disrupt a Halloween parade last Saturday.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Noem, who oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), made it clear she would not ask agents to step down.
“No, we’re absolutely not willing to put on pause any work that we will do to keep communities safe,” Noem said.
“The fact that Governor Pritzker is asking for that is shameful and, I think, unfortunate that he doesn’t recognize how important the work is that we do to make sure we’re bringing criminals to justice and getting them off our streets, especially when we’re going to send all of our kiddos out on the streets and going to events and enjoying the holiday season.”
In his letter to Noem, Pritzker said federal agents were “ignoring their duty to protect the public and uphold the constitution”. The Democrat said violent raids in Illinois had “endangered the lives of innocent community members and traumatized children”.
Pritzker’s appeal came after ABC News reported that agents from the border patrol converged at a children’s Halloween parade in Irving Park, in north-west Chicago, last weekend. ABC said it had reviewed video footage which “showed agents deploying teargas and tackling and arresting several people, including US citizens, outside homes decked out in Halloween decorations”.
Noem did not address that raid, but called for sympathy for ICE agents, who she said had increasingly been threatened.
“What we’ve seen in attacks on ICE officers is unacceptable,” Noem said. “I’ll remind you, every single ICE officer has someone who loves them.”
Pritzker responded to Noem’s comments in a post on social media.
“We know Kristi Noem must love Halloween because she always dresses in law enforcement costumes, but what is truly shameful is that she refuses to agree that we shouldn’t tear gas children trick or treating,” Pritzker said.
Since taking office Noem, who faced criticism last year after she said she shot dead her pet dog, has appeared for press events wearing ICE clothing and a firefighter’s uniform, among other garb.
