Gov. JB Pritzker calls for criminal prosecution of Trump officials

Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said Democrats should pursue criminal charges against the Trump administration and law enforcement officials who “broke the law” if they want to take control of the White House in 2028.

Pritzker, who is seeking a third term as governor, sat down for an interview with The New York Times in which he proposed that Democrats adopt their own version of Project 2025 — the Heritage Foundation’s conservative policy plan for presidential administrations released in nearly every election cycle since the 1980s. Pritzker dubbed the Democrats’ counterproposal “Project 2029,” calling for its rapid implementation to “restore the rule of law.”

“I don’t think you can put it in shorthand, but we have to restore the rule of law, and that means holding those who broke the law accountable,” Pritzker said. “I’m talking about the people in this administration who broke the law and the federal agents who broke the law.”

New York Times reporter Lulu Garcia-Navarro asked Pritzker if that meant Trump officials and law enforcement officers would face criminal charges.

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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker speaks to the media at Manny’s Cafeteria and Delicatessen during a primary election in Chicago, Illinois, Tuesday, March 17, 2026. (Credit: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Criminal and civil charges,” Pritzker said. “Whatever we can do.”

Trump and Pritzker have been at odds for months over Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda.

Last October, Pritzker filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago. The lawsuit claimed that the deployment of National Guardsmen to the Windy City was “unconstitutional and/or illegal.”

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents walk down a street during a multi-agency targeted enforcement operation in Chicago, Ill., Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. President Donald Trump has vowed to lead the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, ultimately pledging to deport all people living in the country without legal status. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

U.S. District Judge April Perry issued a temporary restraining order preventing the deployment of National Guard troops to the state while the lawsuit moves through the court system. The Supreme Court also upheld Perry’s decision. The Trump administration withdrew federal troops from the state in January.

Pritzker and Trump also clashed over tactics used by federal immigration agents in Illinois. Pritzker accused federal agents of “waging war on our people” and “acting like jackbooted thugs.”

U.S. President Donald Trump attends a tour of the Thermo Fisher Scientific facility in Reading, Ohio, March 11, 2026. Trump highlights his administration’s efforts to lower drug prices at the biotechnology and pharmaceutical company. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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The Trump administration is facing another lawsuit stemming from accusations of alleged misconduct by immigration enforcement agents during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. The plaintiffs accused federal agents of violating protesters’ constitutional rights by using tear gas and force. District Judge Sara Ellis issued a preliminary injunction barring federal agents’ use of force and tear gas against protesters, but an appeals court overturned her decision earlier this month.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Pritzker’s office and the White House for comment.