Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary (Left) & J.B. Priztker, IL Governor (Right) | Facebook
Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary (Left) & J.B. Priztker, IL Governor (Right) | Facebook
Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary, said Governor J.B. Pritzker is intentionally protecting illegal aliens in Illinois, despite Americans being victims of crimes from migrants, like Emma Shafer, who was killed in Springfield. She made the statement at a press conference.
"Governors like JB Pritzker don't care if gang bangers, rapists and pedophiles roam free in this state," said Kristi L Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, according to YouTube. "If they are here illegally, he's going to protect them."
On May 7, according to the New York Post, Noem joined Angel families near the Illinois governor’s mansion in Springfield to criticize the state's sanctuary policies. Standing with families who had lost loved ones to crimes committed by illegal migrants, she urged Pritzker to reconsider what she described as a "dangerous" approach.
An Angel family member, whose relative was killed by an illegal migrant, expressed frustration: "I just call on Governor Pritzker to be a true governor and stand by the federal laws and deport every one of them, every one," they said. "I don’t care if they’re 2 or 20 or 80, send them back." Emma Shafer, aged 24, was killed by Gabriel Calixto Pichardo, an illegal migrant wanted on charges including three counts of first-degree murder and aggravated domestic battery.
According to WAND TV, Emma Shafer was fatally stabbed on July 11, 2023. Authorities believe Gabriel Calixto Pichardo from Bethalto, Illinois is responsible for her death. A warrant has been issued for his arrest with a $3 million bond. Despite efforts from Springfield Police and the U.S. Marshals Service, Calixto remains at large.
Noem questioned the lack of consequences for Shafer's killer: "Where’s the compassion for Emma who died on this street and her killer is still roaming free," she said during the press conference shared on YouTube by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Kristi Noem serves as the eighth Secretary of Homeland Security. Before her current role at DHS, she was South Dakota's first female governor and its sole representative in the U.S. House.
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