Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called President Donald Trump a "monster," and U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has accused the mayor of "bragging about" violating the law.
Johnson accused the president of "animus towards women, people of color, [and] working people."
"We have always known who he has been," he declared. "This is not a surprise. He's a monster, period. We have the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago, and he is threatened by that."
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
The mayor's fiery comments come in the context of the Justice Department launching a probe into whether Chicago is engaging in race-based discrimination.
"Our investigation is based on information suggesting that you have made hiring decisions solely on the basis of race," a letter signed by Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Harmeet Dhillon declares.
The letter points to comments the mayor made while speaking to Dr. Byron T. Brazier, pastor of the Apostolic Church of God.
During the exchange, Johnson pointed to various roles occupied by Black individuals and said, "when you ask, how do we ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business, having people in my administration that will look out for the interest of everyone, and everyone means you have to look out for the interests of Black folks … that's how we ensure long-term sustainable growth …"
Dhillon's message to the mayor notes that "we have not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation."
"Chicago’s mayor is about to find out," Sen. Mike Lee declared in a post on X. "Racial discrimination is illegal."
"There’s no such thing as benevolently racist hiring policies," Lee said in another post. "Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is breaking the law And bragging about it Then calling Trump a monster because his administration won’t tolerate that," Lee wrote, adding, "He’s about to find out."
As Illinois faces a growing political divide over the issue of trans athletes in girls' sports, the state's lawmakers addressed the topic in a heated back-and-forth on the floor of the state capital on Wednesday.
The state's General Assembly members broke out into aggressive arguments over the issue during the session. One Democrat member even made the unsubstantiated argument that laws to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports would result in genital inspections of children. That argument was initially used by U.S. House Democrats who voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in January.
The Illinois lawmaker to repeat the unsubstantiated claim was Rep. Kelly Cassidy of Chicago, who accused GOP colleagues of being "obsessed with children's genitalia."
"My colleagues on the other side of the aisle feel the need to share their obsession with children's genitalia once again," Cassidy said. "We are grown adults, and we are picking on kids because you are obsessed with children's genitalia."
Cassidy's statement was then pushed back upon by Republican Rep. Blaine Wilhour of Southern Illinois. Wilhour called out the state's Democrats as a whole for supporting gender transitions for minors and pointed out a recent track meet in Naperville, Illinois, that sparked national outrage after a biological male won a girls' race.
"These folks up here accuse people of being obsessed with kids' genitalia because they have the audacity to believe that boys should not be competing in girls' sports. But I just want to point out here that there is only one party, the Democrat Party, that is supporting and encouraging minor children to use life-altering and often unreversable hormone blockers," Wilhour said.
"What we've seen in Naperville, that's not fair competition. Not only that, it's abusive to these young girls and it's a clear violation of Title IX."
The recent Naperville incident has put the community and state under a national microscope in recent days. The controversy even prompted a series of heated debates, which went viral on social media, at the Naperville 203 Community School District Board meeting on Monday.
Democrat state Rep. Anna Stava-Murray, who represents Naperville, defended the trans student who won the race.
"I find it disgusting when adults try to bully children, and that's what's happening right now," Stava-Murray said.
"We have adults, including adults on the House floor, who want to take a moment that that child trained for and use it as a political talking point, that's disgusting, you should be ashamed of yourselves. That child did not ask to be in national media. That child's parents didn't consent to that."
Republican state Rep. Adam Niemerg then chimed in to condemn the Democrats for allowing the issue to continue in Illinois, warning of potential cuts to federal funding by President Donald Trump's administration for defying an executive order to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports.
"To think parents and kids still have to be dealing with this astounds me, after all, there is an executive order banning this kind of thing from happening. Folks, this nonsense has to stop. This insanity is leaving a trail of tears heartache and oppression of girls and women everywhere," Niemberg said.
"You want federal dollars? Then stop embracing policies that 90 or 95% of the people oppose! Stop letting boys compete in girls' sports! What is so hard about that to understand? I will not stay silent on this issue and neither will parents."
Niemerg also called out the mainstream media over coverage of the issue.
"The media needs to do their job and stop acting like this is not happening. Ask the governor directly, press him on this issue, do your jobs, and stop lying about what is going on here in Illinois," he said.
Tension over the issue in Illinois has mounted in recent months before coming to a head in the aftermath of the Naperville incident over the last week.
There is already one federal Title IX probe in Illinois regarding transgenders impeding on female spaces, but it is only against one school, that was launched back in March.
Deerfield Public Schools District 109 is facing a probe by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights after middle school girls were allegedly forced by school administrators to change in front of a trans student in the girls' locker room.
Back in April, the the Illinois High School Association announced in a public letter that Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Department of Human Rights have declared that state law requires that transgender athletes be allowed to participate based on gender identity. So it is continuing to allow biological males to compete with girls, as it has since 2006.
U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., has addressed two letters to the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice asking for federal intervention into the issue. Miller previously sent a letter in April and is now doubling-down on her pleas for the Trump administration to step in.
Miller's latest letter asks U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Education Secretary Linda McMahon to specifically look into the Naperville incident and consider pulling federal funding from the state, as seen in a copy obtained by Fox News Digital.
Even Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher has spoken out on the issue while his home state is ravaged by controversy.
"It's just different because we are men, there are certain things we do better than women, and it's just, number one, it's not fair, and if I had a daughter who had to be forced to play against a man, I would not be okay with it and I would raise hell about it," Urlacher said during an interview on the "Global View" podcast on May 9. "I just don't get it, it's a common sense thing, I just don't see how you can push this and make someone thing they're a different sex."
Tensions are mounting over trans athletes in girls' sports in Illinois, as the state continues to allow males to compete against and beat out females in sports across the state.
A youth track meet became the focus of national controversy after a biological male competed in the seventh-grade competition against girls at the Naper Prairie Conference Meet last Wednesday. The incident prompted a series of heated debates, which went viral on social media, at the Naperville 203 Community School District Board meeting on Monday.
Now, Illinoisans are speaking out, calling for President Donald Trump to crack down on the state and Gov. J.B. Pritzker to protect girls' sports.
Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., has addressed a second letter to the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice asking for federal intervention into the issue. Miller previously sent a letter in April and is now doubling-down on her pleas for the Trump administration to step in.
Miller's latest letter asks U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Education Secretary Linda McMahon to specifically look into the Naperville incident and consider pulling federal funding from the state, as seen in a copy obtained by Fox News Digital.
"The Illinois Governor has made our beautiful state unfair and unsafe for women and girls by allowing men to compete in their sports and to use their showers and locker rooms. It is my strong opinion that any school district that allows these actions to continue should have its federal funds reviewed immediately for revocation," Miller wrote. "Ultimately, it is my understanding that violations of Title IX may have taken place at this track and field meet, and I write to bring this grave incident to your attention."
Illinois GOP state Rep. Blaine Wilhour is also calling for a federal investigation and potential consequences in the wake of the Naperville incident.
"President Trump should freeze every penny of federal dollars until these schools come to their senses and do right by these kids," Wilhour told Fox News Digital. "Either you believe in fairness, biological reality and common sense, or you don’t. This is not fair competition and Naperville 203 is engaged in what I consider abusive and illegal practices in violation of title 9. Wake up people, these are Jr. High kids being exploited and used as political pawns, and it’s disgusting."
Wilhour was previously a leader in putting pressure on the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) to comply with Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order that was signed on Feb. 5. However, the state's Democrat leaders ensured the IHSA defied Trump on the issue.
In a public letter to Wilhour and other state GOP lawmakers, the IHSA said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Department of Human Rights have declared that state law requires that transgender athletes be allowed to participate based on gender identity.
So girls around the state and their families have had to continue sharing teams and locker rooms with biological males, as they have since 2006.
Even Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher has spoken out on the issue while his home state is ravaged by controversy.
"It's just different because we are men, there are certain things we do better than women, and it's just, number one, it's not fair, and if I had a daughter who had to be forced to play against a man, I would not be okay with it and I would raise hell about it," Urlacher said during an interview on the "Global View" podcast on May 9. "I just don't get it, it's a common sense thing, I just don't see how you can push this and make someone thing they're a different sex."
Currently, there is one federal Title IX probe in Illinois regarding transgenders impeding on female spaces, but it is only against one school.
Deerfield Public Schools District 109 is facing a probe by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights after middle school girls were allegedly forced by school administrators to change in front of a trans student in the girls' locker room.
Illinois mother Nicole Georgas brought light to the situation in March after filing a complaint to the Justice Department and then delivering a school board meeting speech that went viral on social media.
Now, Georgas is looking for more action to be taken as the issue continues to plague girls' sports in Illinois and hopes the recent Naperville incident will be a turning point. She is pleading for the president's administration to bring more pressure to Illinois on the issue.
"The tides are going to turn after this. We as the parents have had enough," Georgas told Fox News Digital. "We are at the forefront, we are in the crosshairs and we need help. We need help right now. In our state nothing has changed from March, and it's getting worse!
"They're using these kids to just almost test President Trump because they know they're not doing anything. They've forgotten about Illinois. They've forgotten about us."
Former Chicago Bears star linebacker Brian Urlacher made his stance known on the issue of transgender athletes in women's and girls' sports as the debate creates a divide in the state where he made his reputation – Illinois.
Urlacher shared his opinion on the issue during an interview on the "Global View" podcast on May 9 and questioned why it is even a debate in some circles.
"Why is it even a debate? A woman is a woman and a man is a man… you're born with what you're born with," Urlacher said.
Urlacher even referenced an ongoing controversy in Minnesota, where a transgender pitcher is currently dominating the girls' softball season. The trans athlete reportedly won 14 straight games heading into the playoffs and earned first-team All-State honors rocked the state in recent weeks.
"It's just different because we are men, there are certain things we do better than women, and it's just, number one, it's not fair, and if I had a daughter who had to be forced to play against a man I would not be okay with it and I would raise hell about it," Urlacher said.
"I just don't get it, it's a common sense thing, I just don't see how you can push this and make someone thing they're a different sex."
The Pro Football Hall of Famer praised President Donald Trump for signing the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order at the White House on Feb. 5.
Illinois has become a hotbed of controversy over the issue of trans athlete inclusion in recent days after a biological male competed in a seventh-grade track meet against biological females at the Naper Prairie Conference Meet.
The incident resulted in a Naperville 203 Community School District Board meeting descending into a heated debate over the issue on Monday.
Awake Illinois has filed a civil rights complaint against the district, with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights alleging a violation of Title IX.
They called on federal funds to be withheld from the district, which it says receives between $8 million and $9 million in federal grants annually. The complaint is part of a broader effort by Awake Illinois, which previously filed similar Title IX complaints against other districts and the Illinois State Board of Education.
Protesters gathered outside Illinois governor JB Pritzker's mansion on Wednesday thinking that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was holding a presser around the property.
Secretary Noem did hold a press conference in Illinois on Wednesday, but it was more than half a mile away from the governor’s mansion, leaving the protesters "screaming" into the wind.
"While we aren’t entirely sure what the protesters were protesting (we aren’t sure they know either), or why they were screaming in front of their governor’s mansion, we stand with every victim of illegal immigrant crime," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.
"Secretary Noem went to Springfield, Illinois to join Angel families to call for the end of dangerous sanctuary city policies under J.B. Pritzker and bring attention to an at-large illegal alien murderer who has been evading justice for two years for the stabbing of Emma Shafer."
As protesters shouted outside Pritzker’s mansion, Noem’s presser was held at the site where Emma Shafer, 24, was stabbed to death by Grabriel Calixto Pichardo, 25, an illegal migrant who is wanted on three first-degree murder charges and an aggravated domestic battery charge. Pichardo was reportedly dating Shafer at the time of the murder.
Noem was also joined by the "Angel families" of Denny McCann and Jimmy Walden, who both lost their lives to illegal migrant crime.
McCann was crossing the street on foot when he was hit, killed, and dragged down the road by Saul Chavez, an illegal immigrant who was drunk driving. Chavez was arrested and charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI, but disappeared for 11 years after being released on bond. He wasn’t apprehended until 2022.
Walden was killed when an illegal alien, who had previously been deported twice, crashed into Walden’s motorcycle in Maryland. His father lives in Illinois.
The purpose of the presser was to spotlight the sanctuary status of the state, and to call on the potential presidential candidate to "abandon these dangerous sanctuary policies."
Pritzker responded to the presser with a statement on Wednesday.
"Unlike Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, Illinois follows the law," the Illinois governor explained. The Trump Administration is violating the United States Constitution, denying people due process, and disappearing law-abiding neighbors – including children who are U.S. citizens. Yet, they are taking no real action to promote public safety and deport violent criminals within the clear and defined legal process."
Families who lost loved ones to crimes committed by those in the country illegally took aim at sanctuary policies in Illinois and across the country at a press conference with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Wednesday.
Among the speakers was Jim Walden, an Illinois resident who lost his son, Jimmy, several years ago in a motorcycle incident while Jimmy was stationed in Maryland.
"My son was serving in the United States Marine Corps in the intel field. He worked for the National Security Agency. Jimmy was 21 years old," Walden said.
"He was hit and killed by his motorcycle by an illegal that the state of Maryland admitted they knew was illegal five years before he killed my son. And in that five-year period, they had had him in jail five times. He was convicted of domestic violence and put on probation, and he was illegal. He would have been 30 years old yesterday.
"For our governor to get on national television and say that he's gonna stand up and protect these people is a gut punch to anybody that's lost one," Walden said of Gov. JB Pritzker.
"I just call on Gov. Pritzker to be a true governor and stand by the federal laws and deport every one of them, every one. I don't care if they're two or 20 or 80. Send them back. We have a path to citizenship. It's called the naturalization process."
Noem said she did the press conference there at the "direction of President Trump today to draw attention to the dangerous policies of Illinois and the Illinois governor and what he has perpetuated as far as violence and criminality against his citizens here in this state."
President Donald Trump recently issued an executive order asking DHS and the Department of Justice to treat "sanctuary jurisdictions" as states and localities that could lose federal funding.
"Springfield needs attention specifically because of the victims that have been here, but also because of the laws that come out of this city that impact the entire state that is protecting illegal criminals and not prioritizing American citizens and the citizens of this great state," the secretary added.
She also noted that the location of the event had a special meaning.
"But we're standing here on this block today because this is the block where a young woman was killed just a couple of houses away from here. Emma Shafer was brutally stabbed and murdered by an illegal alien who was released into the United States by the Biden administration," Noem explained.
Pritzker called the event a "publicity stunt" and took aim at the administration's immigration policies.
"Unlike Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, Illinois follows the law," Pritzker said in a statement about Noem’s visit. "The Trump administration is violating the United States Constitution, denying people due process and disappearing law-abiding neighbors, including children who are U.S. citizens. Yet, they are taking no real action to promote public safety and deport violent criminals within the clear and defined legal process.
"Trump-Noem publicity stunts do not make our communities safer or our immigration system smarter. Illinois doesn’t need to abuse power or ignore the Constitution to keep our people safe. Like the millions of Americans asking for sensible, humane immigration reform, I encourage the secretary to spend less time performing for Fox News and more time protecting the homeland."
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., has launched a bid to win a Senate seat held by longtime lawmaker Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who announced in late April that he would not seek reelection.
Krishnamoorthi is joining an already crowded field that includes Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who has the support of Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., is also reportedly considering a bid of her own. However, Krishnamoorthi enters the race with a sizable $19 million campaign war chest, according to Politico.
In an announcement video posted Tuesday on his campaign’s X account, Krishnamoorthi vowed to stand up to "bullies like Donald Trump and Elon Musk," though the latter left the White House last week. The congressman portrayed the president as a leader who is "ignoring the Constitution" and is "out for revenge."
The congressman highlighted his family background as a first-generation American whose parents "were able to use food stamps and public housing to move us into the middle class." He also referenced his close ties to former President Barack Obama, saying that he "showed that Illinois will give you a shot even when you have a funny name." He then touted his A+ rating from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and F rating from the National Rifle Association.
"I’ll never be quiet while billionaires like Elon Musk and a convicted felon deny the dreams of the next generation for their own egos and personal profit," Krishnamoorthi said in the video. He also vowed to "make America work for working people."
Krishnamoorthi was first elected to Congress in 2016 and currently serves as the ranking member of the Select Committee on the CCP. He is also the ranking member on the Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services.
EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., is calling on sheriffs in her state to defy Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the state’s sanctuary laws and instead uphold federal immigration law.
Miller said the state’s sanctuary policies have transformed the Land of Lincoln into a "cesspool of crime and drugs." She is calling on sheriffs in the state to "act now" and ignore Pritzker’s attempts to circumvent President Donald Trump on immigration law and instead work directly with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) on deportations.
This comes as Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, also a Democrat, have emerged as some of the nation’s leading resistance voices against the Trump administration, especially when it comes to his crackdown on illegal immigration.
The Democratic-majority Illinois legislature passed the TRUST Act in 2017, which limits local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with ICE and bars them from enforcing immigration law.
Pritzker, who is seen as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, has continued to fight the administration, even denouncing Trump as an "authoritarian" and calling for mass protests to disrupt the president’s agenda, saying Republicans "cannot know a moment of peace."
The Democratic governor has also vowed to resist the administration’s immigration agenda and has said that Trump and border czar Tom Homan are "the ones who are threatening people."
ICE has said that state and local policies inhibiting law enforcement from cooperating with ICE endangers federal agents and communities by allowing public safety threats to walk free.
The Trump Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed legal charges against Pritzker, Johnson and several other Chicago officials for refusing to honor ICE detainers, which the department said, "obstructs ICE from assuming custody of an alien in a safe and controlled manner."
In its filing, the DOJ said that "when a detainer is not honored or an alien is released from a non-federal facility without notification or transfer to ICE, ICE must conduct investigations and perform targeted enforcement actions to re-apprehend the alien. And while ICE is undertaking re-apprehension efforts, the alien remains at-large in the community and free to commit further crimes or otherwise threaten public safety."
Though police departments are typically under the direct control of city officials, sheriffs are elected by the people they serve and often have more leeway to enforce the law unimpeded by political pressure.
As such, Miller is urging sheriffs across the state to stand against Pritzker and state authorities and enforce immigration law.
"I call on every local sheriff in Illinois to defy these dangerous directives, cooperate with ICE, and support President Trump’s deportation efforts," Miller said to Fox News Digital.
She said that "Pritzker’s sanctuary state policies have transformed Illinois into a cesspool of crime and drugs brought by the illegals he is actively resettling."
"Our communities are being overwhelmed, innocent girls are being raped, and Americans are being ruthlessly murdered," she added. "These are the tragic consequences of his failed leadership."
FIRST ON FOX: Leaked video obtained by Fox News Digital shows school administrators at an Illinois school of medicine rejecting multiple Trump executive orders, including on combatting DEI, and outlining how the school plans to fight back against them.
Trump’s executive order on gender ideology "is an attack on women" and on "basic human rights," according to Dr. Jerry Kruse, Dean, Provost, and CEO of SIU School of Medicine. Kruse recently gave a speech in a small group discussion about Trump’s executive orders and actions that was obtained by the medical and policy advocacy group Do No Harm.
"We will resist obeying in advance. We won't do any anticipatory obedience," Kruse said. "The existing laws have not changed, no court directives will require any change in compliance at this time."
Kruse added that "these executive orders and actions and the general philosophy that they espouse constitute direct attacks on all that is important to us" while mentioning science, higher education and healthcare.
"More importantly, these orders and actions constitute a direct attack on the people we serve, the people to whom we are accountable."
Kruse explained that the school of medicine is "very fortunate" to be part of a university system that is "on top of it" in terms of pushing back on Trump’s executive orders.
Kruse also claimed that the executive orders on immigration and DEI from the Trump administration are "an attack on human rights and on justice and fairness" that "have engendered fear among large segments of the population of law-abiding people."
At one point in his speech, Kruse said he would provide employees with the "resources" to "fight back."
The SIU school system has been active in promoting DEI in recent years, and it was a topic discussed in the presentation.
"The work that we are doing around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a life or death issue for some people," Dr. Wendi El-Amin, Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, said during the presentation.
The school’s websitehosts a page featuring its work on DEI that says it works to "ensure that our students, residents, faculty, and staff reflect the demographics of central and southern Illinois while also equipping them with the knowledge and skills to address health disparities through culturally responsive care, patient access, education, and health literacy initiatives."
In February of this year, the SIU Board of Trustees reaffirmed its commitment to DEI and the school’s VP of anti-racism and DEI, Sheila Caldwell, claimed that DEI is "lifesaving" and has had measurable improvements for minority students in retention rates.
SIUSOM receives millions in active grant funding from NIH and HHS and Dr. Donald Torry, Associate Dean for Research, said during the presentation that none of the grant funding has been affected so far.
In terms of immigration executive orders, Dr. Vidhya Prakash, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Population Health and Chief Medical Officer, said during the presentation that a school dean recently sent an email to faculty members instructing them not to comply with ICE and that they should call security if a situation arises.
"So please understand that no member of our school of medicine whether it's an employee or its a trainee, should have to engage in conversation or discourse with ICE," she said, adding that the school has patients who are "afraid" and live in fear of being apprehended.
"Continue doing what you have been doing," Paulette Dove, Senior Counsel for Health Affairs for the SIU system, said during the presentation, adding that the "law has not changed."
"These issues demand a strong institutional and collective response," Kruse said. "Thankfully, the SIU system stands firm with a strong voice. SIU president Dan Mahoney has stated that we will hold our ground and that 'the executive actions are antithetical to the values of our institution, the SIU system.'"
Lauren Crocks, the university's director of marketing, communications, and engagement, told Fox News Digital that "Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is committed to following the law."
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller touted Trump's efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs on Thursday.
Miller appeared alongside White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a Thursday morning briefing, declaring that the administration is bringing a "system of merit" back to the U.S.
"This administration is not going to let our society devolve into communist, woke, DEI strangulation," Miller said. "We are going to have a system of merit."
"It's not just a social and cultural issue, it's an economic issue. When you hire, retain and recruit based on merit, as President Trump has directed, you advance innovation, you advance growth, you advance investment, you advance job creation," he added.
Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton picked up an endorsement from Sen. Tammy Duckworth in the primary to succeed the retiring Sen. Dick Durbin.
Stratton launched her campaign last week after Durbin, an 80-year-old who was first elected to the Senate in 1996, announced he would not seek re-election in 2026. She was endorsed last week by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
"Juliana has not only proven to be an experienced and effective Lieutenant Governor -- she’s demonstrated time and again that she truly understands and cares for working people," Duckworth, who represented Illinois, told Politico.
"I’d be honored to have her by my side in the Senate as we work to deliver real results for Illinoisans, and I’m proud to endorse her campaign," she added.
In her campaign launch video, Stratton said, "Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to distract us to create such a mess that we don’t even know where to start. But in Washington, they're still doing the same old things they've always done, and that old playbook isn't working."
Stratton described herself as the daughter of a teacher and Navy veteran from the South Side of Chicago, and a mother of four.
She told Politico that she was "honored" by Duckworth's endorsement and that "Tammy is a true leader for Illinois who doesn’t back down from a challenge."
The outlet also reported that Stratton had previously appeared alongside Duckworth to support the Asian American community during Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Last Wednesday, Durbin said, "The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy."
"I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch. So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term," he added.
Durbin becomes the fourth Democrat in the Senate whose term is up at the end of next year who decided against seeking re-election in the 2026 midterms, joining Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Gary Peters of Michigan, and Tina Smith of Minnesota.
Fox News' Michael Dorgan and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., suggested Thursday that more elderly lawmakers like himself should consider when they might want to exit politics and make way for a younger generation.
"If you're honest about yourself and your reputation, you want to leave when you can still walk out the front door and not be carried out the back door," Durbin told MSNBC, in a similar tenor to how he addressed his retirement at age 80 in front of his Springfield home later that day.
"And I've said whatever your interests may be, whatever issue you want to focus on in Congress, in the Senate if you stick around a couple terms, your minor is going to be aging. You can see it. You can observe it."
However, Durbin added that it is up to each lawmaker when it’s best to make the call to step away from the Capitol for good, further suggesting that age can also be just a number.
He pointed to how Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who – while three years older than Durbin – continues to draw large crowds, particularly of younger progressive Democrats, at rallies against "oligarchy" and other concerns.
Sanders is also reportedly considering re-election in 2030 at age 89, as the Federal Election Commission (FEC) recorded a filing from "Friends of Bernie Sanders" for that cycle.
"I think it's more complex," Durbin said. "The bottom line is, are you competent? Can you still do the job? That's the question the voters should ask."
"But should a new generation be interested in public service? You bet."
Speaking about the future of the Democratic Party as the proverbial old guard begins to depart, Durbin was asked about his onetime Illinois delegation colleague Barack Obama, and how he first ushered in a younger demographic in the 2000s to lead the Democratic Party.
"This is a different moment in history than I've read about or seen in my lifetime, for sure," Durbin said.
"This is the moment where there's a threat to the Constitution of the United States and our constitutional democracy. That is fundamental, and it's in front of every other decision of policy that we might make. We have to get it together. I will plead with my Republican friends. Stand up for the Constitution."
"That to me, I think, just supersedes all conversations about campaigns and even issues."
Durbin’s retirement was said to be somewhat attributed to the "Biden effect," the recent trend of elderly lawmakers announcing retirements in the month since the octogenarian Delawarean stepped away from his 2024 re-election bid amid intraparty pressure after a disastrous debate with now-President Donald Trump.
Durbin and Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., 78; Tina Smith, D-Minn., 67; and Gary Peters, D-Mich., 66, as well as Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., 83, all announced their exits in 2025.
"You can see it, you can observe it," Durbin said in general of politicians’ aging.
"And you have to make that choice, that decision. I've made mine."
With the upcoming departure of longtime Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in 2026, a battle will soon commence for his coveted role as Senate minority whip, the second-highest leadership role in the caucus next to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer.
"There comes a point in your career when the torch must be passed, and I’ve reached that point," Durbin said during a press conference in Springfield Thursday. "I will not be seeking re-election to this United States Senate seat."
Several names have already been floated for the whip job, including some typically vocal senators and others whose quiet policy chops appear just as attractive.
Schatz, 52, is in his third term and is Durbin’s current chief deputy whip as well as deputy conference secretary, a job involving communication and strategy for Senate Democrats.
He is also the top Democrat on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, given the Aloha State’s heavy native population.
Schatz has been active behind the scenes for liberals, placing holds on hundreds of Trump nominees for State Department positions in response to the president’s efforts to shutter USAID.
A former member of the Green Party in Hawaii, he is also considered a bridge between progressives and mainstream liberals.
A former top aide to previous Senate mainstays Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., told The Hill it's hard to tell how leadership elections will go because they’re closed-door votes, but "as far as I can tell, Sen. Schatz seems to be in a pretty good position if he wants to take the leap."
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., is rumored to be a possible successor to Durbin as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to Politico.
Whitehouse has raised his profile as another one of President Donald Trump’s loudest critics, regularly creating viral clips of combativeness with administration nominees in the various hearings he's sat in on.
Another lawmaker mentioned is Washington Sen. Patty Murray, who had been third in line to the presidency until the GOP took back the Senate.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa., now holds that role, which is typically held by the longest-serving senator of the majority party.
Murray is also the top Democrat on the influential Senate Appropriations Committee.
Frequently called the "mom in tennis shoes" who ran for the Senate in 1992 as a relative political newcomer, Murray once said she and others "got into the U.S. Senate because we were mad."
She lobbied officials in Olympia to save an education program from budget cuts when she was told "you can’t make a difference," according to a biography from the Washington Secretary of State’s office.
That populist history, along with Murray’s long tenure and closeness with leadership, could also make her a lock to succeed Durbin.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schatz, Whitehouse and Murray for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Durbin spoke tearfully about his decision to retire during a press conference outside the same Springfield home where he announced his first Senate run nearly 30 years ago.
He hearkened back to his risky move to give up a "safe House seat."
"So, for the last 29 years, I’ve been vindicated that that decision paid off," said Durbin.
"I love this job. I think it’s a terrific job, but I also know reality."
Chicago residents spoke out Tuesday after reports indicated Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is heavily weighing a potential presidential run.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel empire is considering making a bid for the Democratic nomination in the next presidential election, citing sources from former Barack Obama advisors to local leaders.
Residents agreed it seemed Illinois’ 43rd governor would make a play for the Oval Office.
But the 60-year-old governor’s reputation among some constituents indicates the billionaire may face backlash from residents that could bleed into the national conversation.
While crime, homelessness and a number of issues have plagued the city of Chicago and surrounding areas in the state, Pritzker's sanctuary policies, paired with the influx of migrants during the Biden administration, were a key theme among residents.
"A sanctuary city governor who provides more support to migrants than poor Illinois residents in need," founder of Chicago Community Roundtable and Chicago resident Cata Truss told Fox News Digital. "Do we really want him representing this country?"
Chicago, a sanctuary city, became a landing point when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bussed thousands of illegal migrants to the Illinois city after millions poured in at the southern border, and the cost of harboring noncitizens fell to the locals. A February audit by GOP lawmakers in the state unveiled that Illinois taxpayers have shelled out a staggering $1.6 billion to fund healthcare programs for illegal migrants since 2020.
Pritzker has been called to testify before a May 15 House Oversight Committee hearing to address the shortcomings of the sanctuary state, as first reported by Fox News Digital.
Though a major issue, immigration policy was not the only concern residents took up with the potential presidential candidate.
"His policies put women and children at risk," Chicago resident Patricia "P Rae" Easley told Fox News Digital. "He passed a law that states that little girls can get abortions without their parents' consent, which gives abusers more power and made Illinois the abortion capital of the world."
"[Illinois] has the highest taxes in America, and people are fleeing the state like a sinking ship," Easley added.
There was also worry among residents that the governor may sideline the challenges Illinois faces should his focus be concentrated on running for higher office.
"I think the sentiment of a lot of people in Illinois and especially Chicago would be that [a presidential run] is very unfortunate," Chicago pastor Corey Brooks told Fox News Digital. "We have so many issues that need to be focused on, so many problems that need to be focused on. The last thing we need is a governor who’s running for president."
When asked if Pritzker had a shot at the White House, Brooks said there was "no chance to win."
A Pritzker run wouldn’t only shake up the Democrats' struggle to pin down a presidential candidate, it would also leave the door open for Republicans to have a shot at gaining momentum at the state level.
Longtime U.S. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin announced his retirement Tuesday, and with that seat now on the market, an open governor role would shake things up even further. Richard Porter, a former Illinois RNC Committee member and Chicago resident, told Fox News Digital this era could be Republicans' chance to "break through."
"The entire statewide slate on the Democratic side will be up for grabs, and that creates opportunities for Republicans to break through by riding the growing wave of disgust over failed Democrat policies in Chicago and the state," Porter told Fox.
"Illinois is a center-right state with the most extreme gerrymander in the nation. Republicans have a better shot running for statewide offices because that extreme Democrat gerrymandering isn’t in play," Porter added. "Durbin is the first domino to fall. More to come – and we will be ready for the break."
Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker's office for comment.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered the state to review any investments and business with El Salvador, a move that could lead to a boycott over the Central American nation's assistance with the Trump administration in the deportation of criminal illegal migrants.
In a statement, the Democratic governor said the move was in response to the administration's defiance of court orders and the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a suspected MS-13 gang member with connections to human trafficking, who is being detained in El Salvador.
"The United States Constitution guarantees due process. We are witnessing Donald Trump erode our fundamental Constitutional rights in real time, and we must fight to restore the balance of power," Pritzker said in a statement. "The State of Illinois will stand up for the Rule of Law and do everything in our power (to) stop the Trump Administration from ripping apart our most basic rights."
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
Pritzker said he was requesting the Illinois State Board of Investment, the State Universities Retirement System and the Teachers’ Retirement System to "identify any fund investments" that are wholly or partially managed, owned or controlled by the Salvadoran government or have ties to businesses in El Salvador.
He also directed the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) to identify any state contracts awarded to companies with ties to the Latin American country.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Office of Trade and Investment has also been ordered to analyze trade between Illinois and El Salvador, including the scale and nature of imports and the extent to which goods produced in El Salvador are in the supply chain of products manufactured in Illinois.
Pritzker's order came as at least five Democrats have traveled to El Salvador with the intention of meeting with Abrego Garcia. Four of them were denied a meeting by the Salvadoran government.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., met with him amid the legal battle over his return.
The Trump administration previously admitted to mistakenly deporting Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant with alleged ties to MS-13 who was living in Maryland, but has since said it would not help bring him home.
The Supreme Court has ordered the administration to "facilitate" Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S. However, it said El Salvador is responsible for his return.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has said he will not return him. Democrats contend Abrego Garcia was deprived of due process, which the Trump administration denies.
The Justice Department unveiled documents last week detailing domestic violence allegations that Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, included in a court filing in 2021. She alleged that her husband beat her and that she had documentation of the bruises he left on her.
Additionally, a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report obtained by Fox News claims that Abrego Garcia was suspected of partaking in labor and human trafficking. The report said a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper pulled Abrego Garcia over in 2022 after swerving. The patrol officer found eight other individuals in the car with Abrego Garcia, who had just begun driving three days prior.
Department of Homeland Security sources confirmed to Fox News Digital that the SUV Abrego Garcia was driving belonged to a confessed human smuggler.
Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace, Peter Pinedo and Cameron Arcand contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., called on President Donald Trump's administration to take action against her state.
In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital addressed to the Departments of Education and Justice, Miller pleaded for the agencies to investigate after the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) said it would continue allowing trans athletes to compete in girls' sports.
"I am writing to express my deep concern regarding a recent decision by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which has chosen to blatantly disregard federal law and reject basic biological reality by allowing biological males to compete in girls’ athletic programs. This misguided policy not only undermines the integrity and fairness of girls’ sports, but it also jeopardizes the safety of young women across our state," Miller wrote.
"I respectfully urge the Department of Justice and the Department of Education to investigate the actions of IHSA and the State of Illinois and take appropriate measures to ensure that federal civil rights protections are upheld."
Miller provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the letter, and condemning Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
"I’m calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary Linda McMahon to launch an immediate investigation into the IHSA and the State of Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker and radical Illinois Democrats must be held accountable for enforcing abusive, anti-science gender policies ahead of the safety of our daughters and the fairness of girls’ sports," Miller said.
Transgender athletes have been permitted to compete in girls' sports in Illinois since 2011.
Illinois became one of the many blue states to openly defy Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order after it was signed on Feb. 5.
In a public letter to state GOP lawmakers last week, the IHSA said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Department of Human Rights have declared that state law requires that transgender athletes be allowed to participate based on gender identity. The IHSA cited the state's human rights laws as a barrier to banning biological males from girls' sports.
That letter came in response to GOP lawmakers sending their own letter to the IHSA in March asking what the body would do to change policy after Trump’s executive order passed.
"The Illinois High School Association has crossed a dangerous line. By blatantly violating federal law and rejecting biological reality, they are not only undermining fairness in girls’ sports – they’re putting the safety of young women at risk," Miller told Fox News Digital.
A federal Title IX investigation is already underway in Illinois after a Deerfield mother alleged her daughter was forced to change in front of a trans student. Deerfield Public Schools District 109 is facing a probe by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights after Illinois mother Nicole Georgas brought light to the situation.
Georgas has now told Fox News Digital she is also worried about her daughter's athletic future because of the IHSA's ruling.
"Imagine your daughter, dedicating her life, training for years, hours and hours a week, for her championship state race, only to face a male beating her and winning that coveted scholarship. How is that at all fair? Our daughter’s dedication to athletics is slowly being erased," Georgas said.
Deerfield Public Schools District 109 responded to the investigation in a statement to Fox News Digital and, like the IHSA, cited the Illinois Human Rights Act for its protocols.
"Deerfield Public Schools District 109 complies with state law. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits all public school districts from discriminating on the basis of sex, including gender identity, and mandates that students must be permitted access to the locker room and bathroom that aligns with their gender identity," the statement said.
Meanwhile, Maine has already seen the type of intervention that Miller is calling for.
That state has seen its federal funding cut by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Justice has launched a lawsuit against it for continued defiance of Trump's order. Maine has launched its own lawsuit against the Trump administration over the funding freeze, and a federal judge has ruled it be unfrozen.
A New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports.
Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democratic, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D- Ill., the Senate Democratic whip and the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, has announced he will not seek re-election in 2026.
Durbin, 80, who was first elected to the Senate in 1996, made the announcement in a video message on X Wednesday.
"The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy," Durbin said.
"I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch. So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term."
Durbin becomes the fourth Democrat in the Senate whose term is up at the end of next year who decided against seeking re-election in the 2026 midterms, joining Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Gary Peters of Michigan, and Tina Smith of Minnesota.
Additionally, Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, who isn’t up for re-election until 2028, announced last week that he’ll run for governor next year.
Durbin was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1982 and served seven terms before succeeding his mentor, Paul Simon, in the Senate in 1996.
His retirement is expected to set off a flurry of activity among a scrum of would-be successors, both Democratic and Republican.
Durbin represents Illinois, a solidly Democratic state, and Democrats are very confident that they’ll hold the seat in next year’s midterm elections with the GOP only capturing one Illinois Senate seat in the last 40 years.
But President Donald Trump did make gains in Illinois in last year’s election, losing the state by 11 points, an improvement from his 17-point defeat in the 2020 election. Democrats will face an uphill battle to try to reclaim the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.
National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) communications director Johanna Rodriguez said that Democrats like Durbin are leaving office because of losing policies.
"Senate Democrats continue to jump ship as their party’s brand tanks because they prioritize criminal illegal aliens over the Americans that elected them," Rodriguez said.
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee communications director Maeve Coyle responded that, "No Republican has won a Senate seat in Illinois in 15 years, and Democrats will continue to hold this seat in 2026."
Among the Democrats considering a 2026 run to succeed Durbin in the Senate are Reps. Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lauren Underwood, as well as Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and state Sen. Robert Peters.
Durbin's career to date was hailed by former President Barack Obama, who he said played a pivotal role in his own career and is "one of the finest" senators in the country.
"Dick Durbin has always fought the good fight on behalf of working families and his integrity shines through in everything he does," Obama wrote. "It’s also true that I would not have been a United States Senator – and certainly would not have been President – had it not been for Dick’s support. He has been a great and loyal friend, and Michelle and I wish him and Loretta all the best in their next chapter."
Durbin led the drive to ban smoking on airplanes as a junior member of Congress, which helped to usher in the smoke-free movement with legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.
He played a key role in helping to pass the First Step Act in 2018. The bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation was signed by President Trump and reduced mandatory minimums for certain nonviolent drug offenses, created early release incentives and improved prison conditions.
Durbin is a longtime advocate for immigration reform and co-authored the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Although the act did not pass, Durbin's advocacy contributed to the establishment of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides those immigrants with temporary protection from deportation and work authorization.
He also advocates for stricter gun laws and supported the Affordable Care Act, also referred to as Obamacare. Durbin voted to convict Trump in impeachment trials held by the Senate in 2020 and 2021, although Trump was acquitted in both.
Meanwhile, Durbin's fellow Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth shared Obama's sentiments.
"Dick Durbin is, and will always be, a giant of the United States Senate. He has dedicated his life to making our state—as well as our nation—stronger, and we are all better for it," Duckworth said.
Duckworth also recalled meeting Durbin for the first time weeks after she lost both legs when her Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq in 2004, noting his empathy and mentorship during her recovery.
"When Dick looked at me, he saw past the wounds, saw past the wheelchair," Duckworth said. "He saw a soldier in search of her next mission. And he recognized well before I did that just because I would no longer be flying Black Hawks for the Army didn’t mean that I couldn’t find a new way to serve my nation."
Indiana is taking a first step toward a rather unlikely effort to amend its border and acquire parts of Illinois.
The legislature in the Hoosier State passed a bill last week to establish the Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission that would recommend whether to alter the border between the two states.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, plans to sign the measure into law, his office said on Friday. The governor will then face a Sept. 1 deadline to schedule the commission's first meeting.
This comes as residents of some counties in Illinois seek to separate from the densely populated and deep blue Chicago area.
But despite support from the Indiana government and the people in the Illinois counties that would change states, the Illinois government and the U.S. Congress would need to approve the plan to change state boundaries.
Illinois' top elected officials do not support the idea.
A companion bill in Illinois authorizing the state to participate in the commission to change the border has not received a hearing in an Illinois House committee. Democrat Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker also described the Indiana measure earlier this year as "a stunt."
Minor boundary changes between states are not a new idea, as there have been at least 50 in U.S. history, according to the National Center for Interstate Compacts at The Council of State Governments. However, no major changes have been implemented since the Civil War era, when some counties in Virginia separated to create West Virginia.
The current effort to change the border between Illinois and Indiana is fueled in part by political divisions. The Chicago area is controlled by Democrats and, given the area's large population, the party also controls the state government, while Republicans represent many other parts of Illinois. The Indiana government, meanwhile, is controlled by Republicans.
In the last five years, voters in 33 Illinois counties have approved ballot measures asking if they want to consider separating from Cook County, a county that includes Chicago, to form a new state. But the initiative does not necessarily mean they would join Indiana, if given the opportunity.
A similar effort is ongoing in eastern Oregon, as some counties in that Democrat-controlled state want to break away and join Republican-led Idaho. The Idaho House approved a measure two years ago allowing Oregon to enter into discussions, but similar measures have not moved forward as they remain stuck in committees in the Oregon legislature.
Illinois has become the latest blue state to ensure transgender athletes can play girls sports. Republicans in the state are aggressively trying to change that.
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced it will not comply with President Donald Trump's executive order to keep trans athletes out of girls and women's sports.
In a public letter to state GOP lawmakers, the IHSA said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Department of Human Rights have declared that state law requires that transgender athletes be allowed to participate based on gender identity.
Illinois is using a similar playbook to the one being used by Maine in its ongoing feud with the Trump administration over the issue, citing the state's human rights laws as a barrier to banning biological males from girls sports.
"As a result of the foregoing, compliance with the Executive Order could place the IHSA out of compliance with the Illinois Human Rights Act and vice versa," IHSA Board President Dan Tully wrote in the letter.
Tully added that the IHSA finds itself in "an untenable position" as the organization seeks clarity on conflicting directions from state authorities and the Trump administration.
"There is a growing narrative seeking to politicize the IHSA’s response. However, as it plainly explains in the copy of the letter provided below, the IHSA is seeking clarity on conflicting state and federal law so that we can remain in compliance," an IHSA statement said.
Illinois GOP lawmakers sent their own letter to the IHSA in March asking what the body will do to change policy after Trump’s executive order passed. Transgender athletes have been permitted to compete in girls sports in Illinois since 2011.
In response to the IHSA's recent announcement, several prominent state GOP lawmakers have spoken out in opposition to the rule.
Rep. Blaine Wilhour, who led the initiative to send the first letter to IHSA over the issue, told Fox News Digital he is calling on Illinois school districts and school boards to pass local resolutions banning trans athletes from girls sports.
"I think every school district needs to make it clear that we are protecting the sanctity of girls sports, and we believe in local control of those decisions," Wilhour said. "I would demand that all of your local districts take this stand and do that. Because when push comes to shove, we win on these issues, but we just need people to be bold and step out there and do the right thing."
Wilhour condemned Gov. JB Pritzker and the Democratic majority in the state's legislature for the state's laws that enable trans inclusion in girls sports. Wilhour added that he is calling on the Trump administration to intervene and potentially cut funding in response.
"The whole policy is sick. Either you believe in fair competition or you don't. The Democrat Party today, and specifically JB Pritzker, does not believe in fair competition. They put their woke ideology over protecting girls in sports," Wilhour said.
"[The Trump administration is] going to have to engage here, and the leverage that they've got is federal funding. We take millions in federal funding from the government every year. And we don't really savor the situation where that would be withheld. … But I'll take my chances with doing the right thing. … Banning boys from participating in girls sports is the right thing to do, so we need to do the tough things to make it happen."
Wilhour also encouraged the IHSA to overrule the state government's direction and ban trans athletes from girls sports anyway.
Maine has already seen the type of intervention that Wilhour is calling for, both internally and federally.
Maine School District 70 moved to ban trans athletes from girls sports and comply with Trump, defying state law, earlier this week.
Maine has also already seen its federal funding cut by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Justice has launched a lawsuit against the state for its continued defiance of Trump's order.
A federal Title IX investigation is already underway in Illinois after a Deerfield mother alleged her daughter was forced to change in front of a trans student.
Deerfield Public Schools District 109 is facing a probe by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights after Illinois mother Nicole Georgas brought light to the situation.
She filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice after alleging school administrators attempted to force her 13-year-old daughter to change in front of a transgender student in the girls locker room last month.
She revealed the complaint during a board of education meeting for Deerfield Public School District 109 last week, claiming the incident happened last month after her daughter refused to change into her uniform during physical education because a biological male student had been present.
Deerfield Public Schools District 109 responded to the investigation in a statement to Fox News Digital and, like the IHSA, cited the Illinois Human Rights Act for its protocols.
"Deerfield Public Schools District 109 complies with state law. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits all public school districts from discriminating on the basis of sex, including gender identity, and mandates that students must be permitted access to the locker room and bathroom that aligns with their gender identity," the statement said.
The district also called on families to voice their concerns over certain policies.
"The district and the board are united with our leaders and educators on this issue and have a shared commitment to upholding the law," the statement added.
"The district and the board call upon all of those expressing concerns or perspectives on this issue with our staff and educators to do so in a respectful and civil manner. We are glad to work with families to address any individual concerns and determine appropriate next steps to support your child's well-being and participation."
An Illinois high school track athlete suffered an unimaginable injury while warming up for the triple jump at a meet last month.
Dylan Westcott, of Rock Falls High School, broke his neck in a freak accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. The 18-year-old has been rehabbing at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and has been able to sit in a wheelchair since about a week after the March 15 catastrophe.
Rock Falls High School head track coach Eric Bontz shared the horrific details in an interview with KWQC-TV.
"He was warming up in the triple jump, just doing run throughs, and as he was going through the sand, he tripped either over his own feet or over the sand, and kind of stumbled, and was kind of running as he was stumbling, and just fell head first into the wall," Bontz said.
Wescott went through 12 hours of surgery immediately after the accident, according to the Daily Gazette. He had two cages inserted to stabilize his neck with a vertebra was replaced with a titanium plate.
"You go from being a normal, happy family with, everybody talking about future plans and graduation, prom -- he just got accepted to study to be a vet tech after high school -- and then seeing him in a wheelchair, not able to do a lot of the things that he used to do," Westcott’s aunt, Kim Wescott Kilday, told the station. "It really hurts."
Wescott’s family and coach have praised his resiliency.
A GoFundMe has raised more than $22,000 to help with medical expenses.
FIRST ON FOX: The Illinois school district that faced national scrutiny for allegations of forcing middle school girls to change in the same locker room as a transgender student has been referred to the Department of Justice.
The law firm America First Legal (AFL) made the criminal referral of the district Deerfield Public Schools 109 to the DOJ on Tuesday, urging the department to investigate the district and middle school where the allegations occurred for potential violations of federal and state law.
AFL alleged the district violated Code § 241, also known as the "Conspiracy against rights" statute, which makes it a federal crime for two or more people to conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured by the Constitution or laws.
"We ask that your office promptly open a directed criminal investigation into the allegations in the complaint for violations of § 241, take all actions necessary," the complaint reads.
AFL senior counselor Ian Prior advocated for a criminal investigation in a statement.
"The situation at Deerfield Public Schools has gone beyond a Title IX violation and has escalated to a situation that requires the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to launch a criminal investigation. Students should not have their First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment Rights sacrificed at the altar of radical transgender madness and the woke government bureaucrats that view the Constitution as nothing more than toilet paper should face the long arm of our Justice Department," Prior said.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights announced in late March that it was launching an investigation into the Illinois Department of Education, the Chicago Public School District 299 and Deerfield Public Schools District 109 over reported Title IX violations.
Illinois mother Nicole Georgas brought the situation to light when she filed a civil rights complaint with the Justice Department after alleging that school administrators had attempted to force her 13-year-old daughter to change in front of a transgender student in the girls' locker room last month.
Georgas told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that she is "praying" for her daughter and justice amid the request for an investigation.
"I am praying for justice for Cate and all the girls whose rights have been so callously disregarded," Georgas said.
Georgas revealed the complaint during a Board of Education meeting for Deerfield Public School District 109 last week, claiming the incident took place last month after her daughter had refused to change into her uniform during physical education because a biological male student had been present at the time.
"The girls want their locker rooms and bathrooms back. They want their privacy back. This is why I’m here tonight. My 13-year-old daughter’s well-being, mental health and privacy are at stake," Georgas said during her speech at the board meeting on Thursday.
Georgas then raised the issue to the school’s administration, noting to them that she believed it was a direct violation of President Donald Trump’s Keeping Men out of Women's Sports executive order. She said in her speech that the school administration had informed her that, under the direction of its legal counsel, the transgender student was free to use both the girls' bathroom and the girls' locker room
Fox News Digital has reached out to DPS 109 for comment.
The district previously provided a statement to Fox News Digital in response to the DOE investigation.
"Deerfield Public Schools District 109 complies with state law. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits all public school districts from discriminating on the basis of sex, including gender identity, and mandates that students must be permitted access to the locker room and bathroom that aligns with their gender identity," the statement read.
"We are sensitive to the privacy needs of all of our middle school students and ensure that no student is required to change into a gym uniform for physical education class in front of others. When both our middle schools were renovated in 2017, we added five private changing stations within each locker room that are available to all students. All students also have multiple options to change in a private location separate from the locker room if they wish."
The district also said it will work with local families to determine next steps.
"The District and the Board are united with our leaders and educators on this issue and have a shared commitment to upholding the law," the statement continued.
"The District and the Board call upon all of those expressing concerns or perspectives on this issue with our staff and educators to do so in a respectful and civil manner. We are glad to work with families to address any individual concerns and determine appropriate next steps to support your child's well-being and participation."
