By Greg Bishop | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois’ role in the immigration debate took center stage during a congressional hearing about anti-law enforcement rhetoric.

The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing Wednesday titled “When Badges Become Targets” about “How anti-law enforcement rhetoric fuels violence against officers.”

U.S. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Mississippi, quoted recent rhetoric from Illinois leaders.

“Governor [J.B.] Pritzker claimed the country is becoming Nazi Germany because ICE is grabbing people off the street and disappearing them,” Guest said.

Guest also quoted Illinois U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, calling Immigration and Customs Enforcement a “terror force.”

Despite being called out, Ramirez doubled down.

“Let me be very clear, the Department of Homeland Security, you can quote me on that, is the single biggest threat to public safety right now,” she said during the committee hearing.

Critical of the Trump administration’s enforcement of immigration law, U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-Rhode Island, pointed to Hanover Park police officer Radule Bojovic being detained by ICE officials for two weeks before being released.

“He was legally authorized to work in the United States,” Magaziner said. “He had a work permit from DHS. He had passed FBI and Illinois State Police criminal background checks when he was hired by the department.”

The village of Hanover Park told Chicago media Bojovic is back to full-time duty.

Fraternal Order of Police National President Patrick Yoes told the committee that everyone needs to ratchet down the rhetoric.

“Stop dehumanizing law enforcement,” he said. “Recognize that words have consequences. And for people who believe that, they act on those. That would be number one.”

He also urged Congress to pass the Protect and Serve Act.

“Give the federal government the opportunity, Department of Justice, to step in under certain circumstances in order to be able to protect the interests of law enforcement officers and their communities with the increase in violence where we’re seeing,” Yoes said.

Yoes said the measure would not make every attack against an officer a federal crime, but would give the DOJ tools to fight back against attacks on police.